Smooth Criminal
by Nipahem Shadow
Summary: Raven and Red-X pairing. I do not own Teen Titans. There will be sexual content and fighting later. I accept constructive criticism but please, no flaming. It is a work of fiction.
1. Chapter 1

It was mid evening for the inhabitants of Jump city and long shadows began to stretch across the ground in the opposite direction of the sun. One very large 'T' shaped silhouette stretched its impressive length across the gentle rippling surface of the ocean and connected to the famous Titans Tower. Inside of the giant structure all was quiet and still as a purple haired young woman stood at one of the wall sized windows that faced out toward the city. Her eyes watching as the brilliant light of a setting sun made the skyscrapers in the distant glimmer blindingly.

Raven reached her hand up to her hair and absentmindedly tucked an errant strand behind her ear, letting her fingers linger at her collar bone before returning it to the dark security of her cloak. Her breathing was barely audible, even to herself, and the faint ticking of the clock above the stove was the only sound within the large main room that was normally bustling with life and noise.

"It's too quiet." She said.

The sound of her own voice startled her, almost destructive within the oppressive silence. Her normally stoic features furrowed in slight agitation at her words. It had always been her constant battle to covet any moment of calm within the tower, constantly annoyed with her friends for their loud video games and overly enthusiastic sentences. Now, she found herself unsettled with the emptiness of the room, the large television switched off and no smells of burning mustard emitting from the stove.

"It was my descision." She said.

Raven and her friends had been back in Jump city for a few weeks after their trip to Tokyo to apprehend Broshugun. They had been welcomed back with an immidiate attack from Cinderblock and Dr. Light within twelve hours of eachother. The team had taken them in stride and fell back into their normal routine protecting the city but they each felt slower and exhausiton had slumped their shoulders after each battle. Then, as they were returning from a cliche' bank robbery from Johnny Rancid that very afternoon, Beastboy had finally made it heard that he needed a night of fun.

Cyborg had immediatly agreed followed by an eruption of jovial excitement from Starfire. The three had surrounded their leader, Robin, with watering puppy eyes and pouting lips. Much to all of their shock he had happily agreed.

"We haven't really gone out in awhile. I was thinking we could try out that new club in downtown." He said.

Cyborg had shouted his signiture phrase "Booyah!" while Beastboy immedietly slicked back his hair and waggled his eyebrows at his larger friend.

"This will be a perfect chance for me to impress some of our hometown girls like I did back in Tokyo." He said.

Starfire had wrapped her arms around, her now boyfriend, Robin in a bone crushing hug. It had taken five minutes before he could effectivly free his lungs from her hold and catch his breath. Raven had been sitting on the couch, a thick volume of some Japanese text in her hands. After being in Tokyo and realizing that she could not read anything in the city, she had made it her mission to learn the language and the symbols so as not to encounter that particular trouble again. It was also highly encouraged by Robin, having firmly decided to stop any reaccuring moments of his girlfriend kissing a random guy to learn their language.

"Are you not going to join us in the, 'clubbing', friend Raven?" the Tameranian asked.

Raven had looked up from her book and noted the argument between Cyborg and Beastboy about who would be suave enough to collect more phone numbers while Starfire and Robin looked at her expectantly.

"I don't think so, Star. I'll stay here in case there is an attack." She said.

"Are you sure, Raven. We would be happy to have you along." Robin said.

He had frowned slightly at her refusal of an outing, knowing that it had been easier for the group to get her to venture out when they did. It had been at least a year since she had declined accompanying them and it came as a shock to him that she would do so now.

"I don't think you will hear your communicators inside of the club. I can stay and take care of anything that may happen." She said.

Her face was neutral and showed no hint of anguish at missing out on a night in a club, and it had been the truth. After a gentle command from Robin, saying to use their bond if she could not handle a situation on her own, they had left, leaving her trully alone, for the first time in years.

It had not occured to Raven that the sudden silence would bother her, but after a whole hour of undisturbed quiet, she had found herself unnerved. Discarding her book she had tried turning on the television but immedietly clicked it off again. She had never been one for being glued to a screen, and the idea of filling the room with nonsensical rabble felt like a poor substitute for actual company. So she had wandered to the window, watching as the sun began to sink beneath the horizon. The idea of meditating had briefly flashed through her mind but she refused it.

Raven still took time everyday to center herself but it had become less needed after Trigon's influence had been severed. Despite the fact that he was gone, she still was the sole posseser of her powers, and she still had to practice control, though it was becoming easier with every passing year.

"Maybe I should have gone with them." She said to herself.

As soon as the words had left her mouth she had a vivid image of Beastboy pressed against the backside of a girl, dancing and gloating at Cyborg. A shudder of disgust ran up her spine and she shook the idea from her head, deciding that she had been wise in staying back.

Turning from the window she walked from the main room, the almost silent 'whoosh' of the door being the only sound that followed. Raven found herself wandering the corridors of the tower, her thoughts becoming more aware of the confines of each wall. It took a few minutes before she found herself in front of a door that read 'Garage'. One eyebrow lifted as she realized where she had involuntarily arrived at.

The door slid open and she entered the large garage. It was cooler inside and the smooth concrete floor and unadorned walls made it seem infinently more expansive than any other room in the tower. Her violet eyes scanned the room, noting that her friends had taken the T-Car, leaving only a few side projects from Cyborg and Robins R-Cycle.

Raven eyed the bike for a moment, her mind beginning to churn its thoughts before she lifted one side of her mouth in a mischeveous smirk. A shadow of power enveloped her and she teleported from the garage, her descision already made.

Thirty minutes later and the city had succumbed to night. Few stars could be seen above the lights of the buildings and most of the inhabitants had become more accustomed to finding beauty in the glittering lights of the bridge than the constelations. Raven herself was on the bridge, but not as most were used to seeing her. Where many of the civilians would picture the girl floating in the air, none would imagine her bent over a motercycle, her thighs pressed against the sides, her face protected by a black helmet.

As she weaved expertly around cars she could not help but surpress another smirk. Raven had never herself thought that she would do anything like this. She had always felt a solid indifference to cars and the like, always depending upon her own abilities to get her where she needed to be. Then came the time when Cyborg had lost the T-Car and she had come to understand how he was so passionate about the machinery. After helping him rebuild his 'baby' she had come to have her own respect for the mechanics of his work and he had taught her how to appreciate them by driving. Though, she always felt suffucated within the confines of a car, having always enjoyed the feeling of wind on her flesh as she flyed.

It had not taken her long to start eyeing the R-Cycle in the garage whenever she happened to assist Cyborg on any given modifications to the car. Whenever her mechanical 'older brother' would be waist deep under the hood she would run her fingers over the slick surface of the bike and her eyes would take in every detail. Shortly after that she had acquired some books on how they worked and how to ride them. Soon, she had become impatient with only looking and learning so she took advantage of her bond with Robin and tapped into his mind whenever he rode the R-Cycle.

Through him she learned how to properly feel the machine between her legs and ride it. After so many secret taps into his mind she was ready to try for herself. One night, while the rest of the team slept, she had snuck to the garage and straddled the cycle. Knowing her leader well, she was not suprised to see that there was a highly sensitive lock on his bike that had to be released by a code. Raven had not viewed this as a problem and had used her bond one final time to acquire the key.

There had been the initial guilt of stealing her closest friends possesion but the thrill of the ride had overshadowed it immedietly. It was wrong and she knew it, but there was a small part of her that reveled in that wrong doing. For all of her life she had focused on being good, using her abilities toward the well being of others, not wanting to succumb to her darker sides. After the defeat of Trigon, she started to realize that she would not fall victim to her urges and began to sate them a bit, though she was always careful with the bike and was respectful enough to replenish whatever gas she had used. It was as much a 'thank you' to Robin as it was a way to keep her guilty pleasure secret.

After her first ride she had done more research on motorcycles and learned how dangerous they could be if not handled properly. With that new knowledge she had bought a pair of leather pants to protect her legs when she rode, not wanting to feel the pain of road rash that many riders had experienced, and had taken to removing her much beloved cloak. As much as she was attatched to the garment, she knew it was a huge hazard when she rode, so she always left it in her room.

Raven leaned to the side and guided the R-Cycle into the left lane, her leather clad thighs tightening as she accelerated past a slow moving van. Even though she discarded her cloak, she kept her suit on, only pulling the pants over her bare legs. Her uniforms material was very strong and she knew she would not have to worry over her covered arms. Her belt hung over her hips as she had not found any reason to cast it aside, but she had switched out her thin boots for heavier combat styled ones. The vibrations of the bike had been murder on the soles of her feet.

Speeding off of the bridge she weaved between two cars, her wheels directly centered on the yellow line of the road and accelerated through a light. Raven enjoyed racing over the streets of Jump City, feeling the wind pound against her body and the power of the machine beneath her. She thrilled at the difficulty of weaving through cars and down narrow alleys, often surprising herself with her boldness and risks.

She turned onto a street that led towards the docks, favoring the lesser traffic in hopes of pushing the bike faster. As she leaned lower over the seat her acute senses picked up something racing up behind her. The thundering sound of another bike rumbled in her ears and she glanced to her right to see a black bike with a familiar rider. Her eyebrows narrowed as a white skull mask with a red x marring it returned her look.

Raven found it odd that the thief was matching her speed, his eyes assesing her as she did him. Her empathy could not pick up on any emotions from him that indicated he was fleeing from a robbery. All she could sense was the spine tingling rush of competition.

A mischevious smile pressed her lips as she returned her eyes back to the road. If it was a race Red-X wanted, than who was she to back down?

With a push of her hand she thrust the bike forward, passing Red-X and quickly making a gap between them. The R-Cycle was no regular bike. It was _Robin's_ bike, so it was built for blinding speed and more. Raven felt her heart pound with excitement as she turned sharply to the right, and practicly flew down the narrow road that lined the docks.

It was not long before Raven felt, rather than saw, Red-X gain on her. He had pushed his bike faster and closed the distance between them before swerving to the side and appearing at her left. She could feel an impressed amusement coming from him, but beneath that, just under the surface was slight intrigue and wariness.

He was testing her.

Raven had never been one to dissapoint when it came to tests. So, she gave in to her desire to misbehave and went with what her impule wanted. She accelerated before pulling her weight back and brought the R-Cycle into a wheelie, her body keeping the bike balanced as she glanced at Red-X and mimicked his two finger salute that he had been known to give. His eyes widened in shock as she brought the bike back to the ground and once again passed him, a smirk still on her face.

Raven was bent low over the bike, her eyes focused on the road while her senses kept lock on the rider beside her. Red-X had kept speed with her through the entire race, passing her briefly before she would manuver her way beside him or to the lead. They had ended up circling the city and were now back on the bridge, heading once again towards the docks. Though they had not spoken out loud where the finish line would be, it seemed to her that they both understood. As she swerved to her left to pass a blue toyota her eyes widened as she saw the two semi's ahead of her. They were beside one another, going the same speed and she had no way to go around them.

Her brain acted quickly and she pulled the bike back into another wheelie as she expertly balanced in the small space between them. She kept her focus on keeping the bike upright, her muscles tensed with the effort. When she broke past the trucks she settled down again and looked to find how her competitor had dealt with the challenge. Her mouth dropped slightly as she saw Red-X balancing his bike on the cement median of the bridge. He looked to her and the white eyes of his mask winked at her.

Was he gloating at her?

Raven pressed her lips together and sped towards the end of the bridge her determination higher than ever. Red-X stayed on the concrete divider, his balance impecable as he kept at her side. There were honks from cars on both sides but the two riders ignored them, more focused on the race at hand. Once at the end of the bridge, Red-X lifted the front end of his bike up and passed over Ravens head before landing in front of her.

The young woman had to swerve to the side to avoid him but it put her right behind a car that was waiting at the red light. With a grit of her teeth she pulled her own bike up and used a fraction of her powers to help lift it so that she barely skimmed the roof of the car with her tires before landing on the road. She lacked the physical strength that Robin and Red-X had to actually jump the bikes, so she had to use what she had.

They both turned onto the street that they had originally met on and both accelerated as fast as their bikes would allow. The air was loud with the sounds of the engines and both kept their eyes on the end of the road. They were neck and neck and Raven grit her teeth as the unmarked finish line came closer. There was a moment of tension before both she and Red-X hit their brakes and swung their bikes to the side, slowing them down until they stopped at the very edge of the road that was only protected by narrow guardrail.

Raven sat straight up, her boots touching the ground on either side of her as she looked at the mask of the rival in front of her. One of her eyebrows raised as she watched him switch off his bike and lean back, his arms crossed over his chest and head tilted to the side. She used her thumb and turned her bike off as well, her eyes watching him for any clue as to what he would do.

There was a tense few minutes of silence before Red-X leaned forward, crossing his arms over the handle bars of his bike and narrowing his eyes at her.

"Looks like it was a tie."

His voice was a synthesized version of Robins and she felt a momentary shock of anxiety. It made her feel like she had been caught by the Boy Wonder himself at stealing the bike. The feeling faded quickly as she looked into the familiar skull mask.

"So, mind telling me who was ballsy enough to steal the head Titans ride?" he asked.

Raven's eyes widened at the realization that Red-X had not recognised her. She shifted her legs and felt the stiffness of her leather pants as a cool breeze reminded her that she was missing her cloak. A mischevious twitch in her lips was left unseen to the thief because of her helmet and tinted visor. She could feel the tickle of irritation coming from him at her silence before he suddenly dissapeared from her sight in a blur of black static. Raven felt a warm pressure at her back as he reappeared behind her and before she could move, his hands snatched the helmet from her head.

A cool breeze made her hair stir and despite her agitation, Raven was a little relieved to be free of hot headware. She did not bother to turn and look at Red-X as he stood behind her, she sensed that he already figured her out just by her obviously colored hair. Waves of shock rippled off of him and pushed against her back as she waited. His steps were quiet as he cautiously made his way to her side. Raven flicked her eyes to him when he was back in her line of sight and she kept her guard up. Despite the adrenaline rush of the race she knew he was her enemy and did not want to become careless.

Red-X held her helmet under his right arm while the other dangled at his side. The white eyes of his mask were neutral and his posture betrayed nothing as to what he was thinking. Raven did not like feeling so small beneath his gaze so she slowly slid from the bike, her leather pants creaking slightly as she brought her leg over and stood. He was still taller than her by almost half a foot but at least he was no longer towering over her.

He leaned forward and stared into her eyes. She could feel his amusement crawling over her skin and it made her stand straighter.

"Well, well. Isn't this a surprise."


	2. Chapter 2

Cool gusts of ocean wind blew into Jump City and helped to make the night sky seem wider as it stretched from horizon to horizon. While the downtown areas of the city were bustling with noise and movement, down by the docks, it was reletively quiet. It was on the road that lined the docks that Raven of the Teen Titans found herself.

Her eyes were locked into the white eyes of a skull mask belonging to a thief named Red-X. His posture was relaxed but confident as he held her helmet beneath his arm. Her empathy could pick up the intrigued amusement from him and it was agitating. Raven did not feel any threat coming from him so she let the tension in her shoulders go but kept her stance ready in case he changed his mind.

"I have to say, I never pegged you for a thief." He said.

The synthesized voice, that sounded so much like Robin, broke the silence between them and made her frown.

"That's calling the kettle black." She replied.

Red-X chuckled and took a step closer to her, bending slightly to make their gazes level.

"I didn't hear you deny it." He said.

Raven was more than aware that he was slowly intruding on her personal space. Over the years as a Titan she had grown accustomed to multitudes of people doing so and had learned to not let it bother her so much, but his presence was overpowering and she felt her old shields going up. Her face remained stoic as she put distance between them by attempting noncholance and leaning against the bike, arms crossed over her waist.

"I never did." Raven said.

She knew that her joyrides were not honest, seeing as how Robin had no idea that she took out his bike, and she was not going to lie and make excuses. She had never been one to do either. So she merely shrugged at him.

Raven watched him, her posture just as unrevealing as his. She knew this game, the one of assesing people. It was something she had done all of her life, but she had a feeling that Red-X was no amateur either. In fact, to be in his line of work, she knew his life depended on it. She could feel the weight of his gaze as he took her in, trying to unravel her to get a better understanding. Raven had never been used to being the one under scrutiny, in fact, since leaving Azarath, she had found it all too easy to melt into the backround, unseen. It had become one of her shields, one that she had welcomed. Even during battles she tended to think that she blended in with the smooth functions of her team, just a small part of the big picture. Now, she was the center of attention to the person in front of her, and he was looking for breaks in her armor.

Thankfully, she had excellent armor.

"So, care for a rematch?" he asked.

Raven felt her eyes widen at Red-X's words. She had expected more arrogence or even further probing for information, but not a casual, if not hopeful, request for another race. Her lips pulled into a smirk, and one brow raised at him. One of her banes in life were challenges, she revelled in them, and her competitive nature would always come out. Cyborg had found that out whenever they played chess, and found that she could become very intense.

She was just about to accept when a buzzing in the pocket of her pants made her start. Never taking her eyes off of Red-X, she retrieved her communicator and flicked it open. A digital map showed on the screen and indicated that there was some kind of trouble only a mile away from where she stood.

"Another time." She said.

Red-X held her helmet out to her as she swung a leg back over the seat of the R-Cycle.

"I'll hold you to it." He replied.

Raven took the helmet and pulled it back onto her head. As she switched the bike back on, Red-X leaned a hand on the back of her seat while the other lightly gripped the left handle, just beside her fingers. His chest barely grazed her shoulders and the heat of his breath could be felt on her ear through his mask. Her back tightened at his close proximity and she glared at him from behind the visor of her helmet.

"I guess Robin's going to find out you borrowed his bike." He said.

Even if the synthesizer made his voice sound like Robin's, the tone and arrogence it possesed where all of someone else. They were completely Red-X's. Raven heeled the kick stand up and stepped the bike into gear.

"Not likely. He and the others are off tonight." She said.

Raven caught a glimpse of Red-X's eyes widening before she accelerated the bike and sped off, making the theif throw himself backwards to avoid being wrenched by the sudden lack of support. As she raced toward the location that her communicator had indicated, Raven could not help but glance in the small side mirror to see Red-X standing and watching her go.

*.*.*.

The squeeling sound of rubber tires braking over hard asphalt wrenched through the quiet parking lot of a harbor warehouse. Raven switched off the R-Cycle and activated the lock code before pulling off her helmet and cautiously approaching the building. Her communicator had not told her what, or who the threat was, only that there was a disturbance at a warehouse that was used to hold advanced mechanical parts before being shipped across seas. On the way, Raven had tentatively peeked through the bond with Robin to see if he was aware of the call. She had only picked up on loud music, humid air, and a soft body dancing closely against his.

The image had been so intamate that she clamped the bond closed and shuddered inwardly. She figured it was safe to assume that her team had not took notice to the alert. Raven had breathed a sigh of relief, not wanting to be caught in the act of borrowing her leaders ride, and knowing that she could probably handle whatever was going on.

Once inside the dark warehouse, she stretched out her senses, trying to pick up on any hint as to who was inside. Her steps were slow and cautious as she made her way down a crate lined aisle. When she neared the opposite end of the building, her empathy caught hold on something disturbing. Raven pressed her back against a large crate and peered around the corner into the darkness. In one of the small cubbies made within the labyrinth of wooden boxes she could see a dim blue light. The ray trembled slightly and made her realize that it was being held by someone.

Keeping close to the cover of the crates she inched closer until she could get a better visual of who the intruder was. Her back muscles tensed as her empathy began to catch onto unnearving feelings of triumph, and something else, something she could not discern but thought to be very dark and sinister. There was the sound of something metalic being snapped into place before something resembling a mechanical power- up filled the room.

The blue light was tossed aside and rolled close to Ravens feet. A quick glance down revealed that it was a tinted flashlight before she focused back onto the large, defined figure as it stood to full height and turned in her direction. She had the quick image of red metal before the light flickered out and darkness fell around them. Raven was not troubled by the shadows, it was almost like a second skin, but she was disturbed by not being able to see where the enemy was. She could hear lumbering footsteps coming closer to where she stood and she pressed herself against the crate, closing her eyes and centering her breathing to keep herself as silent as possible.

The heavy steps were just past her when they abruptly stopped. Raven held her breath and began to form a small ball of energy in her right palm just as all of the lights in the warehouse flicked on. Her violet eyes narrowed at the sudden illumination before focusing on the towering metal figure of Adonis. His mouth set in a onesided smirk as his hand tossed aside a small device. Raven assumed that it had been a portable switch for the lights.

Adonis let his eyes roam over Raven and her stomach wrenched at the thick feeling coming from him.

"I knew I smelled leather." He said.

Raven did not give him time to say anything else and sent the energy ball that she had created into Adonis's chest before levitating backwards to gain some distance from him. Her attack left a slight scorch mark on the red metal of his suit but it did not seem to phase him. He purred at her between his teeth before charging in her direction. Raven reached out with her dark energy, grabbed a large crate and sent it flying at the approaching danger.

Wood splintered in every direction and packing peanuts bounced to the floor along with different metal gears and parts. Raven phased through the wall of boxes behind her and flew towards the roof of the warehouse. She grit her teeth as Adonis merely barreled through the wooden crates and locked his sights back onto her.

"Adonis likes it when they play hard to get." He said.

Raven felt a cold shiver creep up her gut and into her chest. Her empathy was slowly beginning to become more aware of his growing excitement. She felt nauseated by his presence and the lurking dread that filled her began to make her heart pound. Not enjoying the sensation's he was emitting, Raven focused her attention on a large steal beam that stood propped against a far wall.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zynthos!" she chanted.

The beam was suddenly charged with massive amounts of her power and she sent it rushing at Adonis's head. It connected with his helmet and he staggered back a few steps. Raven flicked her hands and the steal weapon began to bend and twist around the thick limbs of his armor. She thought that he was almost subdued before he lifted his gaze at her and wiggled his eyebrows. Her eyes widened as he effortlessly wrenched his arms free and sent the rod flying in two pieces towards opposite walls of the building.

"Adonis is too strong to be tied down." He said.

Raven rolled her eyes at the weak joke.

"I've heard better from Beast Boy." She muttered.

Adonis glanced from side to side before returning his gaze to her. His mouth slowly set into a wide sneer.

"You're alone tonight, aren't you, hot stuff?" he asked.

Raven felt her empathy kick into overdrive, picking up on too many emotions to easily discern. Awareness, excitement, arrogence, and lust. All of these made her stomach heave and she choked on the intensity of them. Adonis took her moment of weakness to his advantage and quickly grabbed a metal part that had been lying at his feet. With a powerful thrust of his suits arm he sent the part flying at her. Raven quickly dodged it but in her haste she did not see the second metal ariel that he sent her way.

The base of her neck exploded in pain and she let out a gasp before she lost her center and fell to the floor. Her body crashed through a wooden crate, providing a slightly more cushioned landing than the concrete would have. Raven attempted to sit up, her hands spilling over with crackling energy, but Adonis was waiting. His heavy mechanical hands grabbed her wrists and squeezed. Her bones felt like they would snap under the massive amount of pressure from his suits strength. With a surge of his arms he pinned her hands above her head with one of his while the other pressed one of her legs into the splintered surface of a broken plank.

"Adonis loves a girl in leather." He said.

His heavy hand squeezed her leather clad thigh before slowly inching up toward higher regions. Raven's mind was overcome with the feelings of whatever images were flickering through his mind. All were thick with arousal and sinister intentions. Her instincs screamed at her to escape and she began to phase into a portal in the floor, just as she did at her first encouter with him. Remembering this, Adonis removed his hand from her leg and reached into the darkness, his fingers clenching in her hair and he pulled her out.

"Let me go!" she yelled.

Her vision turned red and she could feel her rage boiling deep inside of her chest. The pain in her neck seared down her spine and her scalp felt like it was going to rip off if he pulled any harder. Raven focused all of her power into her palm and pushed it against his face before releasing it in a rush of cold energy. Adonis was effectivly thrown from on top of her and he struggled to his feet. Raven could feel his anger and growing lust washing over her in heavy waves. Her limbs trembeled as she pulled herself into a stand. The agony in her neck had grown and covered most of her back, and she wondered what how much damage had been done by the flying mechanical part.

Adonis grinned at her as he stood, his artificial muscles flexing as he took in the sight of her. Raven wanted to teleport out of there, her instincs were practically begging her to do so, but her pride and sense of duty made her stay. The pain in her back was affecting her vision and she had to grit her teeth in an effort to stay focused. Her powers were naturally attempting to repair the damaged tissue in her body but she forced them to focus on a particularly large forklift that was parked yards behind where Adonis stood.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zynth-" she began to say.

Her mantra was cut short by a blur of red colliding with her head. The air in her lungs knocked out of her as she flew to the floor, her vision swimming. It was only because of her stubborness that she kept consious. Large multi-colored spots flecked her vision and she felt like she had no control over her body. Her tongue was thick and she dimly recognised the taste of blood as a cold hand grabbed her shoulder and wrenched her onto her back.

"Still fiesty. Adonis likes that."

Raven tried to focus her eyes but only succeeded in narrowing the five images of Adonis into three. Her senses were jumbled, unable to decipher what he was feeling, but her skin still felt what he was _doing._ Cold metal fingers were searching for the zipper of her uniform behind her head while a hard knee was pressed painfully against her groin. She could feel his heavy breath on her neck and she tried desperatly to connect her brain back to her body so that she could defend herself.

As he began to pull the button of her pants apart she mentally screamed at him to stop. Her voice was only able to mutter incoherently and her vision had went from numerous images to looking like she was beneath the surface of water. Raven could only discern colors and faint shapes with her dazed eyes and her power flickered like static over her body. Adonis had succeeded in temporarily severing her mind from her powers, something that no enemy had ever done before. She knew it would only take a matter of time before the connection was reastablished with a vengence, but there was no telling how long that would take, or what he would have done by then.

Just as she felt cold air touch the skin of her exposed back and a hard grip tugging the side of her pants down there was a high pitched scraping sound and then Adonis's presense was no longer above her. A blur of black and grey movement swept across her vision and she felt a familair presence standing just beside her.

"I believe she said to let her go."

Raven was suddenly overwhelmed with shock and relief as the synthesized voice of Red-X filled her ears. There were sounds of fighting and metal hitting metal as she used the precious time to try and tap into her bodies healing reaction. Cold tingling sensations began to seep over her body and in a matter of seconds her vision cleared and she was able to move her limbs, if only sluggishly.

Her neck throbbed with pain as she lifted her head and watched as Adonis was assaulted with attack after attack from Red-X. A gray fist connected with Adonis's jaw and as his head snapped to the side, Red-X leapt onto his enemies back. He placed a palm against the back of the mechanical suit, placing a detonation 'x' on the armor and agilely sprang away as a rapid beeping noise sounded before it exploded. Raven pulled herself into a sitting position, not caring that her uniform was halfway unzipped in the back, or that her leather pants were opened and slightly pulled down.

The armor of Adonis's suit was sent flying in pieces across the wharehouse, making him slump onto the ground. Red-X turned from the battle scene and approached Raven. He crouched down beside her and held out a hand to try and grab her shoulder but he froze when she lifted her hand and her eyes glowed white. His eyes widened as a shot of energy blew past his head.

Red-X spun around in time to see a half standing Adonis, all of his armor destroyed, revealing nothing more than a scrawny blonde boy in a spandex speedo. His eyes were wide and steam was rising from his pale skin. He looked at the two in front of him with glazed eyes before they rolled back into his head and he collapsed, unconcious to the floor.

"He was right about one thing. You are fiesty." Red-X said.

His amused words were short lived as he turned back to the girl next to him. Raven's eyes had lost their white glow but they were once again unfocused.

"Hey!" Red-X yelled.

He shot an arm forward and caught her just beneath the shoulder blades as she began to fall back to the floor. His eyes were wide as he spoke to her but she could not discern any of his words. She could feel the warmth of his gloved hand as it gently patted her cheek.

Raven had held off on her healing long enough to make sure that the immediate danger was gone. Now her body was beginning to shut down in an attempt to heal the multiple wounds to her back and head as she had done the last time Adonis had attacked her. She wanted to hold it off longer and get away from Red-X. He had saved her, but she knew him as an enemy, someone who could not be trusted, but her empathy only picked up on concern from the masked thief. With that line of reassurance she took the bait that her mind gave her and sunk deep into her subconsious, faintly aware of the strong arm that looped under her knees and the warm body that lifted her from the cold ground.


	3. Chapter 3

Darkness, endlessly expansive yet confining. It was cold there and there was nothing solid to hold her. The sensation of rain beginning to slowly fall upon her skin made her stir slightly, a twitch of a finger. Her minds eye caught glimpses in the darkness above her, flashing images that were too far away for her to make out, but reminded her of distant lightning. A heavy rolling sound touched her hearing, and the rain had become more steady as it saturated her. She was not fearful, nor did she attempt to flee the storm, her eyes merely looked on as the lightning images above her started to fall, getting close enough that she could recognise certain memories.

Leather clad legs gripping the sides of a speeding motorcycle. Lights of the city racing by. The blur of an 'x' scarred skull disappearing into static. All of these were flickering in the darkness above her and as she became more aware of their significance, the freezing rain had soaked her skin, covering her completely and making her muscles quiver. The faint memory of pain and immobility were washed clean by the cleansing torrent of water that now pelted her. The heavy pressure of sounds filled the darkness and her limbs tingled as she now felt her blood rushing through them.

Flashing sights and feelings began pulling her up further into the darkness. An image of a malicious grin and the unforgiving pressure of a metal knee grinding between her legs. Anger, lust and arrogence rolling into one. The comforting sounds of a synthesized voice and a flicker of black and gray. A feeling of weightlessness and a warm, solid body pressed against hers. With all of these things assaulting her, swirling through her mind and cascading over her limbs, she felt herself breaking the surface of the darkness and into the illuminated world of conciousness.

*.*.*

Raven's eyes shot open and she sprang up into a sitting position, one power charged hand held forward, ready to attack anything in front of her. She blinked and let the black energy leak back into herself as she found herself within the familiar confines of her own room. The lights were out and the only illumination came from the half moon outside her large window. Taking in a deep, steady breath she quickly found her center and calmed her thoughts, bringing herself back into the present moment and relaxing the reflexes that always took over whenever she awoke from a deep healing.

Once she was fully aware of where she was she took the time to sift through the jumbled memories from before she fell into her subconcious. The most forefront was her fight with Adonis, followed by a brief rescue from Red-X. At the thought of the skull masked thief she remembered their heated race around the city and the familiar sounds of speeding bikes. Raven's eyes widened and she felt panic surge through her chest. The sound of something cracking came from a dark corner of her room and she knew that one of her objects had been fissured. She shot from her bed and her hand went to the pocket of her pants but found nothing.

Raven looked back to her bed and found her communicater lying above her pillow and she quickly snatched it up. A small digital clock at the bottom of the screen informed her that it was a quarter past midnight. She combed her brain and tried to remember when it was that her friends had gone to the club. With a push of her mind she stretched her aura throughout the tower, feeling for any signitures that would indicate that they had returned.

There was nothing to be found outside of her door, but she was aware of a fading trace of something foreign yet familiar within the walls of her room. Her brows forrowed and her lips set into a grim line as she stared at her communicater before sweeping her eyes back to her bed.

"He brought me back?" she asked aloud.

With a troubled mind she pressed a button on her communicator, waiting impatiently as green computerized words spelled out 'Calling'. She had just been about to give up when the muffled sounds of heavy bass rythms blasted through the tiny speakers and the disturbingly yellow walls of a dimly lit room came onto the screen.

"Raven?" said Robin.

A rush of relief came from her in a small sigh as she looked at the face of her leader as he held one finger into his left ear and peered back at her intently. They were still out, and from the sounds of it, still at the club.

"Is there an attack?" he asked.

Raven's hand went instinctevly to her neck and her fingers probed the spot where she had been hit, but no pain or discomfort could be felt.

"There was some trouble from Adonis. It's taken care of. I was just wondering if you were still out." She said.

Robin nodded and shifted, giving Raven a glimpse of more yellow wall and something that resembled writing.

"Yeah, but I think we will be leaving in another hour. Do you need us to come sooner?" he asked.

Raven shook her head and visibly sighed. An hour would give her plenty of time to retrieve the R-Cycle before they returned. As she was about to speak there was a heavy banging in the backround and Robin's image shifted as his hand shot out in front of him. She was able to see half of his face and a a graffiti covered gray wall bolted into the yellow one behind him. A sickening realization dawned on her and her eyes widened as Robin glanced into the screen with a blush on his face.

"Robin, are you answering my call while using the bathroom?"

*.*.*

There was the comforting dispersment of her body as it lost physical shape and the racing cold of tearing through time and space before she was pushed through the ungiving surface of asphalt. When she was completely teleported through the tiny fissures of the ground, her body materialized and she was once again whole.

Raven opened her eyes and found herself back at the unlit parking lot of the wharehouse. She immedietly probed the darkened building for any signs that Adonis would still be lingering. Despite having been stripped of his strength increasing suit, she knew that he was capable of repairs, though she doubted he could do so in such a short amount of time. When she was satisfied that his presence was gone she dropped her search and turned to where she had left the R-Cycle.

"Hey there, Sunshine."

Raven was not completely surprised to see Red-X leaning against the bike, his arms crossed loosley over his chest. She raised an eyebrow at the nickname but made no move toward him. His head tilted to the side and one of his masked brows arched as well. His amusement was always evident but she was not expecting to feel a quick pulse of relief off of him. It took her back a little but it was gone as soon as it had come.

"Hey, yourself." She replied.

Red-X chuckled and crossed one of his ankles over the other, letting his posture state for him that he was comfortable enough to stay a while.

"You bounced back quick." He said.

Raven once again touched the back of her neck with her fingers, a subconcious attempt to make sure that her wounds, were in fact, healed. Catching the narrow eyed look that Red-X was fixing her with, she let her hand drop to her side, fingers barely brushing the leather surface of her pants.

"You planning to take my bike?" she asked.

Raven thought that she could almost feel the smirk under his mask. He uncrossed his arms and rested his palms on the thick seat of the R-Cycle, his upper torso shifting forward slightly.

"I thought it was Robin's." He replied.

Raven frowned before letting out a sigh. She walked to the bike, her eyes assesing his frame, waiting for any indication that he would strike. The muscles in his shoulders remained relaxed and his weight was still against the bike. At the moment, he had no intention of attacking. She reached out to take the black helmet that hung from the handle bar but he placed a gloved hand on top of it, stopping her retrieval.

His movements had not been sharp or overly swift. It had been an almost lazy action but the message was clear. She would have to wait before he let her go. Raven suddenly felt tired and impatient and she let her frown deepen.

"It is, and I need to be returning it. Unless you're planning to take it." She said.

Raven had momentarily contemplated pushing him through a portal that would relocate him across the parking lot, but thought better of it. She was already exhausted from the deep healing and she felt a sense of debt to the thief. He had been there to help her when it had had no gain for him and she felt it would be rude to return his momentary kindness with an unwanted push into darkness.

Red-X lifted the helmet and shifted it to his opposite hand, tucking it under his arm for the second time that night. He adjusted his weight so that he was now sitting on the bike, ankles no longer crossed and his posture slumped so that he could rest his elbow on his thigh. He kept his face towards her, his eyes unseen behind the the white lenses of his mask.

"Don't need to. I already have my own." He said.

Raven crossed her arms over her stomach, hooking her thumbs into the thin loops of her belt and shifted her weight to one leg. She was physically tired as well as mentally and, seeing as how Red- X was posing no immediate threat, she felt no qualms in letting her guard down a fraction.

"Then why are you hanging around?" she asked.

Red-X looked at Raven for a minute, his eyes probing her as she had done to him, but her voice had betrayed nothing except her tiredness. He assessed her stoic face and waiting eyes, trying to find the chink in her walls.

"I was about to return it for you." He said.

Raven's face revealed her shock and she let her arms go back to her sides. Red-X kept suprising her tonight and she wanted nothing more than to test his sheilds as he was her. Silence hung thick between them and the only sound was the gentle creak of Raven's pants as she shifted her weight.

"Why?" she asked.

Red-X stood then, making her straighten her posture in response. He was taller than her, most people were, but she had not noticed how large he seemed. He was not an overly muscular person, though he was not at all scrawny. In fact, his build was only slightly more developed than Robin and he had more height, but it was the confidence that he exuded that made him seem like so much more. He casually handed her the helmet, dangling it off his fingers at her. Raven cautiously brought her hands up and took it from him, her stare unbreaking from his. Just as she had slipped it from his grasp he gripped one of her wrists in his hand.

Raven let her energy crackle off of her in a brief, yet blatent warning, but allowed him to keep his hold on her. His grip was not tight but firm, seeming almost playful as it coupled with the amusement rippling from him.

"I want that rematch." He said.

Raven smirked at his answer, her mischeveous glint returning to her eye as she stood straight and brought her face closer to his, matching his arrogence with her own.

"Anytime." She said.

Red-X released her wrist and allowed her to take the helmet. There was a split second of silence between them before he leaned closer and his eyes, hidden behind the white lenses, challenged her.

"Let's keep it spontaneous, Cutie." He said.

Raven felt one of her brows twitch in irritation at the nickname as Red-X flickered and then disappeard. She stood in the parking lot for a minute, her senses reaching out, but finding no trace of the thief. Satisfied that he was well, and trully gone for the night, she pulled on the helmet and mounted the R-cycle. After unlocking the security device and starting the bike, she pulled out her communicator and checked the time.

"Thirty minutes left. " She said to herself as she peeled from the lot and into the street.

*.*.*

Raven stood in the main room of the tower, her slender fingers gently holding a mug as she waited for her kettle to finish heating. She had managed to refill the R-Cycle with gas before deciding it would be more timely to just teleport back to the garage. Her decision had proven wise, considering that she had only turned the dial on the stove when she felt the presence of her friends return. It was not long before she could hear their voices in the hall as they approached the door. The kettle began to whistle and she took it off of the hot coil just as they entered the room.

"I'm telling you, Cy, I was the one that was being checked out by the red head!" Beast Boy yelled.

Raven looked to the ceiling for a second as she steeped a bag of Earl Gray tea in her mug of steaming water. Turning to face her friends, she leaned against the counter and crossed one ankle over the other, her eyes watching the argument between Cyborg and Beast Boy above the rim of her cup. A small smile graced her lips as observed the two boys.

"You look happy."

Raven looked to Robin who was sitting on a chair on the opposite side of the counter. His hair looked a little damper than usual and there was a thin sheen of sweat on his brow, but she was sure that the same called for her other three team mates. He rested his chin on his hand and smiled at her, waiting patiently to see if she would talk. She smirked slightly as she took a sip of her tea. Robin raised a brow at her and she suddenly realized that she was mimicking the way Red-X had been leaning against the R-Cycle only forty-five minutes earlier. Frowning slightly, Raven stood up and put down her cup, furrowing her brow as she thought.

His cocky arogance must have rubbed off on her tonight. It had been an eventful evening for her and after the strain that her powers had to undertake in order to heal the wounds to her spine and head, it seemed plausible that her empathy would be more receptive to others emotions. Raven thought back to the race at the start of the night and could not help but chuckle. He had said that he wanted a rematch, and her competitive side itched for the opportunity.

"Raven?"

She looked back to Robin and caught the quizical look he was giving her. She offered him a small smile before dumping the cooled cup of tea down the sink.

"I'm fine. Just thinking about tonight." She said.

Raven looked to the couch and saw that Starfire was dozing off while Beastboy and Cyborg stomped in different directions, obviously taking a momentary cease fire in their battle over the red head.

"I'm going to bed. Sleep well." She told them.

As she was walking to the door she could feel a sensation of confusion and, something she could only describe as appreciation, coming off of her male friends in torrents. Baffled, Raven turned and caught the wide eyed stares of the three boys as they stood frozen in their places.

"What?" she asked, her voice slightly irritated.

"Uhm, Raven, why are you wearing skin tight leather pants?" Beastboy asked.


	4. Chapter 4

Faint stars barely shone over Jump City as the first rays of morning began to rise above the horizon. A steady, cold wind made the water of the ocean choppy and white tipped waves slapped against the rocks that bordered the island of Titans Tower. The 'T' shaped building was almost always quiet in the early morning, making it an ideal time for Raven to persue her meditation. She sat cross legged in the air, her hands resting on her knees as her breath came in deep, steady rythms.

Her eyes opened and she looked toward the city, most of the sky still swathed in darkness as the deep orange glow of the sun slowly stretched higher. The chill of the November morning made her skin prickle but the warmth of her cloak kept the wind at bay. After a year of living with the other Titans, she had learned that mid day meditation in the main room only resulted in interruptions and an irritated mood. So, she had taken to waking up before the rest of the team and centering her mind on the roof.

Raven took one final long inhalation before softly touching her feet to the roof and walking to the edge of the building. Her hair blew from her face and the cold wind stung at her cheeks as she watched the dark expanse of water stretch to the city. Her chest fluttered and her skin tingled as the faint traces of static in the air warned her that a storm was coming. Her sensitive hearing picked up the faint wail of a police car, its call carried on the wind, despite how distant she was from the city. Her lips drew down into a slight frown as the sound conjured a fleeting image of a black and gray figure slipping into the shadows.

Two weeks had passed since her encounter with the thief and Raven had managed to keep it hidden from her team mates, even if they still teased her about her leather pants. She remembered how the boys had stared blatently at her, eyes wide and mouths open in shock. Her cheeks had reddened before her brain kicked in and she formed a viable explanation that would not be a complete lie.

"My legs got cold." She had deadpanned.

Raven smirked as she remembered how Cyborg's mouth hung open, one finger in the air as if to protest, but coming up with nothing. Beast boy had immediatly began on a tyraid about how wearing leather was wrong before he and Cyborg got into a heated argument on the topic. Robin had only raised his brow and crossed his arms, fixing her with a look that told her he suspected something was up but he did not persue it further.

A deep beeping sounded from below her and the alert indicator on her cloak flashed red. She glanced back at the city, taking note that the sun still had not risen enough to fend off the night before letting go of her physical form and phasing into the main room. She arrived just as a dreary eyed Beastboy staggered through the doors, one gloved hand scratching his ruffled hair.

"Dude, it's only six fifteen. Who is even awake this early?" He grumbled.

Cyborg and Starfire came in behind Robin as he ran to the computer that always gave them the report on what was going on in Jump City. His fingers pressed an assortment of buttons and an image of a corporate building flashed on the television screen. Robin quickly scanned the text at the bottom, his shoulders tensing as he took in whatever information was to be had.

"Disturbance at Wayne Corp. Titans, Go!" He said.

The team sped to the doors that led out of the main room and Raven kept to the rear. Once entering the garage, Robin leapt onto the R-Cycle while Cyborg climbed into the T-Car. Starfire had flew after Robin as he peeled out of the tower while Beastboy buckled himself into the passenger seat of the car. He grumbled again about the early hour before blinking up at her. Cyborg revved the engine and leaned his head out of the window.

"Need a ride, Hott Pants?" he asked.

Raven scowled at his wiggling eyebrows and grabbed a nearby wrench with her powers, flinging it at his head before teleporting to Wayne Corp.

*.*.*

An icy gust of wind greeted Raven as she regained her solid form just outside of the towering research building. She glanced up and down the street, eyes narrowing when she realized that she had arrived well before her team mates. Knowing that it would take them at least twenty minutes to join her, she decided to scout the area for whatever the disturbance had been. Looking up at the looming structure, she noticed that the first five floors had rows of windows, while further up there were none. She could see no light coming from any of them, not even through the front doors at the security desk. In fact, the building felt very still to her. No electrical currents or heating pulses.

Raven decided that someone had tripped the power supply to the building, leaving everything dark and cold. She could not detect any movement on the first few floors and deduced that the one responsible was somewhere on the upper levels, where most of the labs were. Concentrating, she centered her senses and focused it up, the world around her melting away as they enveloped the inside of the building with her empathy. She touched every corner, probing the shadows and locked rooms, searching for life.

Then she felt it, a shift of movement, only the barest whisper of a giveaway. It had been almost undetectable and Raven twitched her lips in satisfaction. Locking onto the faint signiture, she let go of her physical self, her corperal shape that of her namesake, and flew through the stone and steel walls of the Wayne Corp. building. The steady pulse of a heartbeat became her beacon in the dark as she phased through level after level of floors, their backrounds nothing but a blur to her white eyes, before she leaked into the shadows of one in particular.

Her arrival was silent as she felt the solidity of her limbs return. Her hood hiding the gem on her chakra from reflecting any possible light that could be shinning. The room was still warm despite the lack of power and she realized that whomever had cut it must have done so only recently. She searched the darkness, her back barely skimming the wall behind her as she felt a pulse of concentration in front of her. There was the sound of a lock breaking before a rush of compressed air gusted through the room.

Raven levetated and slowly approached the sounds of someone sifting through objects, not wanting her footsteps to give her away. She estimated that it had only been ten minutes since her arrival and she could anticipate another ten to pass before her team mates would as well. Knowing this, she wanted to make sure that she did not give herself away too quickly, in case she would need their assistance.

Her empathy picked up on the intruders determined emotions and she began to concentrate her powers in her hands as she neared. Lifting her palms and focusing on the unseen person before her she quickly released the cold energy, willing it to form a solid sphere around them and act as a small prison before her friends arrived.

She felt a sudden shift in movement and a sound that resembled insect wings filled the darkness before she no longer had a lock on the intruders wherabouts. Raven felt heat at her back and a firm grip on her shoulders as her eyes widened in surprise. Her reflexes kicked in and she reached two power charged hands over her left shoulder, latching onto firm arms before bending her abdomen and using her powers to help her send the attacker over her own shoulder and into the opposite wall.

There was the sound of a body hitting something solid before Raven used her energy to charge the lights above her. She squinted her eyes momentarily, taking in the luxurious office and, the now broken, wooden desk. Her eyes narrowed as her enemy pulled himself from the wreckage of wood and papers, one gray glove rubbing the forehead of his skull mask.

"You pack quite a hit, Sunshine." Red-X said.

Raven felt the tension in her stance ease and she stood straight, her face hidden beneath the hood of her cloak. She watched in silence as he got to his feet, his eyes never leaving her as one hand held a plastic case with the silhouette of a small disc inside. They were testing one another, waiting for a break in the standstill that stood between them, but neither moved. There was the sound of a door wrenching open from below them, the metallic scream of unwilling metal being pushed aside. Red-X bent forward, one hand holding the disc out behind him as his eyes winked at her.

"Sounds like my que. Catch ya later, sweets." He said.

Raven reacted quickly and locked her focus onto him, phasing into her own teleportation as he did his. She was able to hold her grip, feeling the cold rip of time and space as she followed him. There was a flash of static and she waited for him to solidify before she did as well. Red-X was about to run down the narrow alley that lined the left of the building but was thrown to the ground by an unexpected weight colliding with his back.

"What the hell?" he yelled.

Raven charged her hands with energy and used her foot to hook around his ankle as he fell, the momentum of the pull causing him to turn on his back before hitting the ground. She landed on top of him, her power encased hands pressing his shoulders into the cold ground, acting as the difference in strength between them. Red-X's eyes widened significantly as Raven smirked down at him. He struggled against the tingling grip of her energy before tilting his head to the side, one brow arching, and bending his elbows to rest his hands on her hips.

"Nice form." He said.

Raven felt the heat in her cheeks and grit her teeth in anger as his fingers gave her hips a gentle squeeze. She lifted one fist from his shoulder, letting go of the power that she had been holding, and aimed for the 'x' on his mask. She could hear his smirk before his hands left her hips and grabbed her wrist before the hit made contact. Her stomach twisted as he pushed up with his lower body and pulled her down, slamming her against his chest as the momentum carried him over and he landed agilely atop of her.

Red-X kneeled over her, his hands still holding her wrists as she bared her teeth and her eyes glowed white. The arrogence that he was putting out overwhelmed her empathy and she had a sudden memory of their race a few weeks prior. Raven pushed it from her mind as she thought she picked up something else from him, a sort of shock that she had never noticed before. He leaned in closer to her, his white eyes narrowing as she felt a rush of amusement.

"Looks like I win." He said.

There was a strange tension between them and Raven felt her chest tighten unexpectadly. She thought he would have teleported off of her, but he remained as he was, hands gripping her wrists as his legs straddled her stomach. An air of confusion formed around them and his eyes narrowed before a green bolt of energy collided with his shoulder and he bounded off of her.

"Leave friend Raven alone!" Starfire yelled.

Raven climbed to her feet and saw Cyborg and Starfire at the entrance of the alley behind her. The sun had risen significantly during her fight with the thief and a soft blue sky could be seen above them. The cry of a falcon permeated the air and there was a flash of green feathers as Beastboy swooped from the air and retrieved the forgotten disc that Red-X had dropped when Raven caught him. She turned back to where he stood, his posture low as he assesed the odds of getting his quary back. There was the thunderous screech of brakes and he turned to see Robin sitting astride the R-Cycle, his arms crossed over his chest and a triumphant smile on his face.

"Looks like you're trapped, X." Robin said.

Raven felt her chest tighten and her brows furrowed under her hood. Something felt wrong to her and she could not put her finger on it. She watched as Red-X glanced back at her, one brow arched as he tilted his head in Robins direction.

"How about that rematch?" he said.

Ravens eyes widened at his words and she could feel the confusion rippling off of her friends in waves. The sound of the R-Cycle accelerating down the ally caught her attention and she watched as Red-X jumped into a back flip, forcing Robin to hit his brakes to avoid colliding with Raven and the other Titans as they began to close in. The theif landed just behind him, wrapping his arms around his shoulders before pulling him from the seat and sending him flying into the wall.

"Robin!" Starfire yelled.

Red-X swiftly threw an expanding 'x' shaped object in their direction. Raven dropped to the ground on her stomach to avoid the attack but her friends became caught by the strong adhesive before it clamped them together in a struggling pile of legs and arms. She turned her attention back to Red-X as he chuckled and looked to a dazed Robin as he sluggishly pulled himself into a sitting position.

"Maybe you should leave the bike to someone who can really ride." Red-X said.

Robin grit his teeth and staggered to a stand, his fists clenched as he struggled for stability.

"You couldn't handle my bike." Robin said.

Red-X shrugged before looking back to Raven, his amusement filling the narrow alley and making her lip twitch.

"Maybe. But I know someone who can." Red-X said.

He sent four 'X' blades flying at Robin, pinning him by his sleeves and cape to the brick wall. Robin struggled angrily as Red-X saluted him before glancing at Raven, the wink left unseen by the Boy Wonder.

"Catch, ya later." He said.

The masked thief sprinted from the alley towards the entrance that his bike was parked at. Raven felt her adrenaline kick and and she smirked to herself as her mischevious side took over. Her friends were cursing behind her, struggling to free themselves from the bonds that Red-X had trapped them with.

"Raven, go after him!" Robin yelled.

Raven had barely heard her leaders words before the sound of the X-bike echoed off of the alley. Raven felt her competitive side quiver in anticipation and one side of her mouth went up, a chuckle forming in her throat. Her powers forked apart, one side righting the turned over R-Cycle while the other retrieved the helmet from Robin's head.

His eyes widened in shock as it was pulled over top of Raven's and she leapt into the seat, her foot kicking it into gear and her hands pushing it forward with blinding speed. As he watched her peel out of the alley, he blinked a few times, his eyes rounded and his mouth open.

"Uhm, Raven?" he said, but she had already left him in a cloud of dust.

*.*.*

Raven clenched her teeth as she sped behind Red-X, her bare legs being blasted with cold air as her cloak billowed behind her. The weight of the garment was pulling on her throat annoyingly and she finally used her powers to untie it, leaving it to land in the middle of the road behind them. She had been racing the thief for a solid fifteen minutes, dodging morning traffic before he turned sharply onto the road that led out of the city and toward the mountains that boardered the it.

Traffic was more sparse here and she caught Red-X glancing back at her before he pushed his bike faster and began to lengthen the gap. Raven narrowed her eyes and grinned behind Robin's helmet. The thief had made the mistake of making her competitive side itch, now it needed a good scratch. Her body bent lower over the bike to cut down on wind resistance before she pushed her wrist forward and made the bike hit ninety mph.

The helmet was slightly big for her and the sound of the wind rushing past her ears was deafening. Despite the fact that her legs were completely bare, she did not feel the cold, her adrenaline was pumping too fast for her to be aware of any sensations other than the vibrations of the bike, the road beneath her, and the thrill of the race. She managed to manuever herself to the left side of Red-X, her eyes challenging him behind the green visor of Robin's helmet.

His eyes narrowed slightly and she felt an uncomfortable catch in her chest, making her shudder slightly before her own mischevious tingle ran up her spine. He had been ballsy enough to hint at her secret race with him in front of her team, so she felt she needed to be just as ballsy in return. Raven winked at him before she pulled her upper body back and brought the bike up, she pushed slightly with her power and brought the bike off of the ground, making Red-X gape in suprise as she sailed the R-Cycle diagonally over his own bike and land directly in front of him.

Raven barely heard a muffled curse as she pushed the bike even faster, glancing over her shoulder to see Red-X glaring at her as he chased after her. She could not help but chuckle as she turned her attention back toward the road, her heart pounding as she revelled in the excitement that riding gave her. Her thrill was short lived as her senses picked up on a snap above the road, there was the sound of stone hitting stone before she saw the massive boulder crashing down the side of the mountain and onto the road before them.

"No!" she yelled.

Raven had forgotten that the mountain road was notorious for falling rocks and she mentally kicked herself for allowing the race to escalate somewhere dangerous. She grit her teeth and swerved the R-Cycle to the left, barely avoiding the large rock but feeling the sting of smaller, sharper shards collide with her bare legs. She hissed in pain but managed to keep her bike upright as the sudden sound of metal scraping against asphalt made her throat close.

She looked behind her to see the X-Cycle skidding across the road and into the guard rail as Red-X flew above her. His eyes were wide as the sudden toss from his bike stunned him from reacting. Raven hit her brakes and turned the R-Cycle sharply, the momentum forcing her backwards as she reached out her hand and grabbed Red-X with her power, stopping his descent from the sky to the slope of jagged rock and trees beneath him. Their eyes caught for a brief second before he reached a hand toward her as she felt the back of the bike break through the thin guard rail and go careening off down the side.


	5. Chapter 5

Raven could feel the back half of the R-Cycle lurch downwards before the rest followed. Her stomach spasmed at the sudden drop and her panic caused her to momentarily lose her concentration. There was the sound of the bike's engine revving once in her tightened grip as the machine was suddenly blocking her view of the sky, then her reflexes took hold and a black shield melded over her body. Her eyes clamped closed as she felt her protective barrier crash through tree limbs and crack against stone, the worst of the impacts being taken by her powers, but she could still feel the wrenching of her tumulting body. After what felt like an eternity she no longer fell, but slid down a jagged slope of rough dirt and rock. Unfortunatly for her, her concentration was spent and she felt the majority of her shields fall.

The raw earth and stiff shrubbery raked painfully against her bare legs and she could feel the back of her uniform tearing away, along with layers of skin. Raven opened her eyes and saw the blue expanse of the morning sky above her and realized that she was sliding headfirst down the slope. Gritting her teeth she reached out a hand, feeling nothing but cool soil at first before she clamped her fingers around the stinging foliage of some mountain shrub. Her body jerked and she groaned with pain as her lower half twisted so that it was facing the bottom of the fall. The momentum still proved too much for her to stop with one hand and the needles of the shrub tore away in her palm.

Raven swore incoherently as she saw the sudden drop a few yards before her. There was the blur of a blue ocean against the horizon before she dug her heels into the dirt and forced her body to go sailing into the air. She closed her eyes and let her mind link to the only place could picture before screaming into the air.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zynthos!"

*.*.*

The teleportation was savage in its intensity, her panic fueling the speed of its pull, making her head dizzy and eyes tear. There was a sudden of confusion before the darkness released it's hold and she fell from the portal and onto the stiff carpet of her bedroom. She let out a pained breath before a second heavy collision sounded above her. Her bed made a loud groaning sound and she thought she heard a spring pop but her head was swimming with adrenaline and the slowly emerging torrent of pain that was her body.

Raven pushed herself up onto her elbows and sluggishly raised her head. Her room was swathed in a green tint and it was then that she silently thanked Robin's helmet for staying on during her fall. Movement on her bed made her brows lower and she pushed herself up into a sitting position despite the agony on her palms and back. Her stomach was churning and she swallowed a few times to keep from vomiting on her floor.

The bed creaked obsenely before a dark figure sat up and began to pull the long cape from around its head. Raven watched as Red-X disentangled himself from his own wardrobe and her sheets, confusion and annoyance evident despite the skull mask. Raven opened her mouth to protest his presence in her room but realized that it was her own doing. When she fell she had kept a hold on him, her habit of putting the safety of others before her own making sure that he never hit the ground, even if she did. When she had opened the portal in order to stop herself from further damage, she had inadvertantly took him with her, and even made his landing more comfortable by giving him the bed to fall on.

Raven rolled her eyes and silently swore at herself before slowly struggling into a stand. Her legs shook violently and the fiery pain all over her skin made her stomach lurch again. Ignoring the strange male in her room, she staggered to her desk and slumped onto her chair, wincing as her legs touched the hard wood. She watched wearily as Red-X finally managed to free himself of her bedding and began taking notice of where he stood. His white eyes swept over her room before landing on her, one brow rising as his arms crossed over his chest.

"Didn't know you wanted me in your bed so soon, Sunshine." He said.

Raven could not respond to his cocky demeaner, her body was coming down from the adrenaline rush it had endured during the fall. She turned away from his gaze and leaned her upper body onto her desk, one arm pushing away the few books that were stacked there. Her breath was steaming up the visor of the helmet and she felt very hot. The skin on her legs and back were like fire and she realized that her hands were still in fists. Her fingers felt arthritic in their jerky uncoiling and the flesh of her palm stung as bits of foliage and shrub needles fell onto the desk. The heat of her helmet was stifling as her limbs shook with the adrenaline that slowly left her body. Raven groaned lightly and closed her eyes, trying to ward away the nausea that claimed her stomach.

"Hey, you don't look so good." Red-X said.

Raven snorted before she even realized she had done it. She turned her head to look at him, not bothering to pull herself into a sitting position.

"How astute of you." She said.

The choked voice had not sounded like her own, but she knew the sarcasm was. She closed her eyes and felt her body shudder, her mind slowing down as she focused on calming her stomach before she tended to her other wounds. Raven heard the slide of a door and barely audible footsteps leaving the room. She let out a shaky sigh of relief at the familiar solitude before the door opened again and she felt Red-X's presence close beside her.

"Hey!" she protested as his hands pulled her into a sitting position.

Raven opened her eyes and looked on as the green tint of the helmet's visor lifted from her vision and the oppressing confinement was suddenly gone. She took in a deep breath of fresh air before something cold and wet was placed against the back of her neck. Her sigh of content was loud, even to her, but at the moment Raven did not care. Her nausea was greatly reduced by the rag at the base of her neck and she lifted one of her hands to hold it in place, but felt the warmth of a hand instead.

Awkward tension made her chest tighten as she felt his hesitance beneath her fingers. Raven thought that she felt his thumb lift to caress one of her knuckles but it may have just been the pull of his hand from beneath her own. The cold rag soothed the raw flesh of her palm and she pressed down, letting icy trickles of water snake down her battered back. She let out a hiss of pain when the droplets touched a particularly painful place between her shoulder blades, but did not remove the rag from its spot.

Raven took in another deep breath and felt the unease in her stomach disappear with the return of her center. Momentary relief washed through her and she leaned into her seat, shifting slightly at the pain in her back. Her gaze went up to assess the masked eyes that stared down at her. She could not see his face, but she could feel his emotions clearly.

Confusion, anger, and concern.

The first two were completely understandable to Raven, but she found herself furrowing her brow at the last. The tension began to build within the room, making her feel stifled once again. Sweat beaded on her brow beneath the intensity of his stare and she removed the rag from her neck. Before she could react, Red-X took the cloth from her hand and vanished in a blur of static.

Raven blinked at the place where the thief had stood, her hand held out as if she were still holding the rag. She looked down to her palm and her eyes widened at what she found. A large gash gaped open, spanning from the first joint of her middle finger and down to the bottom left corner of her wrist. Blood had smeared over her fingers and there were bits of dirt and plant debris wedged inside. Her eyes followed her arm and took in the tattered remains of her suit, the cloth torn to shreds with bruises and cuts spanning her pale skin.

She stood, feeling the pain in her back and legs as she went to her window. Clouds had begun to block out the rays of the sun, but it was still relatively bright outside. She looked at her reflection, her eyes taking careful note of every wound. Her face had been spared, thanks to Robin's helmet, but the rest of her had not been so lucky.

Thanks to her initial shielding, she had managed to save herself from any fatal injuries that may have threatened her. All of her bones were intact and she was not concerned about internal bleeding. Her barrier had only gave out when she had begun to skid down the slope itself, so most of her injuries were contusions, gashes and scrapes. Her arms and legs were mostly bruised and her suit had held together along the shoulders and most of the front, but the back had been torn to ribbons. Raven carefully twisted so that she could assess the damage and had to grit her teeth to keep from crying out. Long, red welts spanned down most of her back, the skin looking almost blistered and raised. A large bruise covered the span of one shoulder blade, tapering off into smaller ones along her spine.

The worst was just between the bruises and could have proven debilitating had it not been for her shields. A hand size piece of shale had broken off in her skin, tearing away a large chunk of flesh and leaving blood to ooze down her lower back. Her vision swayed slightly at the grotesque image of the rock embedded just beneath her skin, like a large splinter. The familiar trace of Red-X suddenly filled her room again and she gratefully turned her attention away from her wound. He approached her, his hand offering her another cloth that dripped cold water. In his other hand she saw a first aid kit that she remembered seeing in one the bathroom closest to her room.

"How did you know where to get those?" she asked.

Red-X chuckled, the synthesized voice sounding much like Robin's yet completely different.

"Come on, Sweets. I've broken into this place before." He said.

Raven closed her eyes and nodded, remembering the fact that the suit had been made in this very tower. The sharp throbbing in her back made her frown and she winced when she moved an arm to take the cloth.

"I'm going to need your help." She told him.

Red-X tilted his head to the side, his eyes narrowing as a wave of amusement brushed against her skin. He walked up to her and purposefully intruded upon her personal space. Their chests were only a few inches apart and she had to look up to meet his gaze. One of his brows were raised as he lowered his face to hers, arrogence and mishchief fueling his actions. He raised the hand that held the cloth, lifting one knuckle and gently pulling her chin up closer to his face.

"Pleasures all mine." He replied.

Raven rolled her eyes before taking the cloth from his hand and walking to the bed. Sitting down, she impatiently waved her hand at him. She could hear his smirk as he raised the first aid kit in the air, lightly shaking it as his head tilted to the side.

"If that's what you need, Sunshine. But I don't think there's any protection in here." He said.

Raven felt the blush creep up her neck and fought the urge to send him crashing through her window. She took in a deep breath as she slowly rung out the excess water in the rag. Every move of her arm caused her pain and glanced back up at him when she had finished twisting the cloth into a tight rope.

"I have a piece of shale splintered in my back. It needs to be removed before it can heal." She told him.

The room was suddenly drained of all humor and her eyes widened at the severity of the seriousness spilling from the thief. Red-X narrowed his eyes and nodded at her, all joking put aside. She kept her eyes on him as he approached her bed and kneeled one knee on the mattress next to her as he opened the first aid kit. After some rummaging he pulled out a set of metal thumb forceps and gently pushed on one of her shoulders, making her turn from him. Raven took a deep breath and placed the twisted cloth between her teeth, the damp material leaking cool water onto her tongue.

"I need to take it out slowly, otherwise it could break." He said.

Raven nodded as she closed her eyes and focused on her breathing.

"You ready?" he asked.

Her fingers gripped the material of her blanket, her one palm throbbing as she gave him one curt nod.

Raven felt the forceps tug at the opening of the wound before delving into the gash. Her breathing remained steady and she kept her mind on the rythm of her heart. Her back muscles began to twitch as the forceps slowly widened the gap in her skin, attempting to make the removal of the shale easier. Her teeth tightened around the cloth and more water wetted her tongue as her brow furrowed against the pain. She attempted to seperate herself, to cut the connection between brain and body, but the lingering awareness that the person helping her was still her enemy kept her from doing so.

Her grip tightened on the blankets as she felt him tug on the shard, the sudden movement making her muscles spasm despite her attempt to keep still. She felt one of his hands gently grip the fold of skin open as he slowly inched the shard up. Raven clamped her eyes shut and bit down hard on the rag, her breath coming in rythmic blows from her nose.

There was a moment of intense pain before the tightness was released and she could feel the shard pulled free. The pain was intense for the following few minutes and she managed to only release one muffled grunt as she counted the beats of her heart. As the pain began to ebb away, she became aware of the warm weight of a hand on her hip and one on her hand. Raven slowly opened her eyes and her bite on the cloth lessened as she calmed her breathing. His hands left their positions on her hip and hand and she felt a momentary sense of loss. Her brow furrowed but was soon raised in bewilderment as she felt his thumbs against her mouth.

"It's over, Sunshine." He said.

A gentle tug on the rag released it from her mouth and she worked her jaw for a moment before turning to face Red-X. His masked face was unreadable as his eyes bore down into hers. She felt her throat catch as she swallowed and the intensity of his close proximity was something she knew that both of them were aware of.

"Thanks." She said.

Red-X narrowed his eyes and she could see the tension in his shoulders as he crossed his arms over his chest again.

"Why did you save me back there?" he asked.

Raven raised one brow and crossed her arms over her own chest, unknowingly mimicking is very actions. There was a moment of amusement from him before he leaned closer, the warmth of his breath close to her mouth. She suddenly felt the need to back away, but once again she knew she was being challenged, and she was not one to easily back down. She was just about to answer him when she felt the familiar traces of her team mates running into the tower. Fear, concern and urgency permeated the walls as they began to rush towards her room.

"You have to go." She said.

Red-X's eyes narrowed and he leaned in closer, the skull mask just inches from her face. She glared up at him, her eyes trying to convey the seriousness of the matter. Raven could feel the panic in the air as they all hurried from the elevator, running down the hall towards her door.

"Not until you give me what I want." He said.

Raven growled between clenched teeth before she grabbed his shoulder and pulled him down, the side of his mask grazing her cheek as she whispered into his ear.

"The Titans will be here in less than two minutes. I'm giving you an out. Take it." She said

Raven could feel something unfamiliar from him, a sieze in his chest that resembled shock but was far more intimate. Her eyes locked on her door as she could hear the pounding footsteps of her team drawing near.

"Why would friend Raven be in her room when she was chasing the Red-X?" came the muffled voice of Starfire.

Raven felt her own chest seize in panic as she felt the warm hand of Red-X cupped the side of her face, pulling her attention from the door.

"There's no telling where she is, Star. Her communicater was with her cloak on the road. This is the best place to start." Came Cyborgs response.

"Raven! Are you in there?" Robin yelled as a fist pounded on her door.

Raven looked into the white lenses of Red-X's eyes as he inched his face closer, his demeanor no longer amused or arrogent, only serious and demanding.

"I'll be back for that answer." He said.

Raven froze as she felt the distance between them close as the soft material of his mask pressed against her lips. She could feel the warm pressure of his lips before he disappeard into black static, leaving her to stare wide eyed as the door to her room slid open, revealing the faces of her team mates.


	6. Chapter 6

Four voices were speaking at once, each filled with the rampant emotions that slowly overtook the room. Their sentences seemed to meld into one another, forming incoherant ramblings that did little to break Raven of her momentary shock.

"What happened?"

"We found your cloak on the road and"

"R-Cycle was wrecked"

"you are injured! We must"

"is Red-X?"

Raven blinked her eyes hard at the mention of Red-X, her lips turning down into a scowl as her ears finally began to register the multiple voices and words that were jumbling together. She stood quickly, her eyes flashing red as energy crackled off of her in sharp tendrils.

"Enough!" she yelled.

The other Titans went silent, their eyes wide as they watched her take in a deep breath. Starfire laced her fingers together in front of her, her green eyes filled with concern while Beastboy kept looking around the room, his ears twitching slightly. Robin narrowed his eyes at Raven, his arms held stiffly at his side as he waited.

"One at a time. Please." She said.

Robin stepped forward, his mouth opening to speak as the dominant aura of his leadership role eminated off of him in waves.

"First things first. Let's get you fixed up." Cyborg interrupted.

Robin glared at the larger Titan, his mouth set in a grim line as he crossed his arms over his chest. Raven knew that he was still focused on capturing Red-X. It was the way he always was with any thief or villain, it became his top priority and brought out the ugly side of him at times, but he had begun to learn where to draw the line. Raven nodded, her head throbbing along with the rest of her body.

"Come, friend Raven. We will tend to your injuries before the asking of questions." Starfire said.

Raven offered a small smile of gratitude to the Tameranian, and Starfire returned one as she placed a hand on her boyfriends shoulder. His face remained hard and determined but the tension in his shoulders eased slightly. She followed Cyborg to her door, pausing to let the others through, not enjoying the idea of leaving anyone inside of her room without her being there. Cyborg, Robin and Starfire filed out but Beastboy remained inside. Raven felt her brow twitch with agitation as she turned her attention to her friend, who had remained in the same spot, his eyes roaming over the entire expanse of her room.

"Something wrong?" Raven asked.

Beastboy snapped out of his reverie and gave her a tight lipped smile as he made his way to the door.

"Just thought something smelled different." He said.

*.*.*

"Looks like you just have some superficial scratches and bruises. The worst damage was to your palm and the spot on your back." Cyborg reported.

Raven sat cross legged on the hospital bed inside of the infirmary ward. A large screen behind her glowed with her unique medical physiology as Cyborg input data through his scanner. She glanced down at her hand and noticed how the gash had closed significantly, leaving the light line of a white scar at the tips, which would soon disapear as well. Her back still stung but her legs and arms were barely red with scrapes and the bruises had faded to a dull yellow.

"My body is already healing. All my wounds should be gone after two hours. One, if I meditate." She said.

Cyborg nodded as his scanner disengaged and he turned to input some notes into the computer.

"Please, explain how you can heal so quickly." Starfire said.

Raven slid from the bed and took her cloak from a nearby stool. Beastboy had brought it in after the initial medical scans had started and Raven was grateful for the enveloping folds that offered some shelter from the intense stares of her team mates.

"It's her demon DNA. She has a higher number of white blood cells and platelets that fight off any infection and close off cuts more rapidly than any humans." Cyborg informed.

"I only have to go into a trance when the damage is internal or bone related. It takes up much more of my energy." She said.

Starfire stepped close and placed a hand on Raven's shoulder.

"Then, you are 'okay'?" she asked.

Raven's mind betrayed her with the memory of Red-X's stunt only minutes before. The skin of her lips still felt strange, almost as if the material of his mask were still pressed against them. A warm blush tinged her cheeks as a scowl twitched her features, but she willed it away and gave her friend a reassuring smile.

"I will be. After some meditation." She answered.

Starfire smiled wide and inadvertantly levitated into the air, her arms waving with excitement.

"Glorious! Then you must do so this instant!" she said.

Raven wanted nothing more than to escape the watchful gazes of the other Titans. She disliked being the center of attention and wanted nothing more than to heal the rest of her injuries and contemplate the brazen actions of the thief. The thought of him made her chest tighten annoyingly and she was furious with him. Not to mention the fact that he said he would be back and she was less than thrilled, knowing that he would keep his word and would surely darken her doorway soon enough.

"Not yet, Starfire. Raven, we still need to know what happened with Red-X." Robin said.

The infirmary became quiet as each member of the team looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to speak. The pressure of their gazes made the room feel smaller than it was and Raven sighed, knowing that there was no other way to end it quickly than to just speak.

"He escaped." Raven said.

Beastboy's eyes closed as his brow lowered, his arms crossing over his chest as he shifted one leg to the side.

"No duh." He muttered.

Raven felt a vein twitch in her forhead as she shot the changling a look that made him smile innocently and scratch the back of his head.

"We found your cloak and communicator on the road in Jump City. We had to track the signal from the R-Cycle onto the mountain road. When we got there, all we found were fallen rocks and Red-X's bike." Robin informed.

His eyes were narrowed and fixed on Raven. She felt the the hairs on the back of her neck raise under the intensity of his stare. He was interrogating her and she did not appreciate it. She kept her face neutral as she held his gaze, not willing to let him see past her poker face.

"I was following him like you ordered me to, Robin. I dropped my cloak because it had become a hinderance in my persuit. When we got to the mountain side there was a rock fall and he teleported away." She said.

Raven knew that she was not telling the whole truth and she felt uneasy at the action, but it was not the first time that she had had to do so with her friends. The incident with her father had been the first, now this, though it felt much more difficult to her for some reason.

"That doesn't explain why the R-Cycle was halfway down the rock face while you were in your room miles away and injured." Robin said.

He had stepped closer to her, his face set into a determined scowl. She could feel the anger in him as he tried to use his presence to intimidate her into speaking. She had seen him do it before with criminals and villians. Even to the other Titans when he was obsessed with Slade. Now he was trying it on her and she knew it would not work. She was not easily intimidated.

"Hey man, give her a break." Cyborg interrupted.

The big man had moved to step between them but Robin held up a gloved hand, a silent order to back down. Raven could sense Cyborgs irritation building, his natural 'big brother' instinct wanting to take over and protect his little sister, but the part of him that was a Titan knew that there was still more to be explained.

"The rock fall broke my concentration and I lost control. I broke through the guardrail and went down the slope. My powers protected me from most of the impacts but gave out halfway down and I slid the rest of the way. Before I dropped off completely I teleported to the one place I felt the most secure." She said.

Raven saw Cyborg and Starfire nodding their acceptance to her information. Beastboy frowned slightly but did not speak. Robin raised his brows and crossed his arms over his chest as his masked eyes searched her, trying to find the flaw in her story. Raven found herself growing angry at his scruitiny. He was treating her like a criminal and it was pushing her patience. There was an almost inaudible groaning from one of the computers as her emotions made her powers flare against her control, and Beastboy's ears twitched.

"Is there anything else?" Robin asked.

Silence hung heavily through the room as they all waited, each wanting to know more but also wanting it to end. Starfire was uncomfortable with the angry fissure between the two and wanted it to mend so they could all return to their, normally, enjoyable companionship.

"No." She said.

The finality in her word was absolute and she could feel the tension break for most of her friends. Robin kept his hard look, his posture stating for him that he did not believe her. Raven drew up her hood to hide her face, a silent indication that she was done with the interrogation. Cyborg placed a hand on her shoulder and she relaxed.

"You should go and finish healing. I'll start making lunch. Who wants B.L.T's?" he said.

Raven could not help but smile at Cyborgs distraction, it was as much for her benefit as the rest of them.

"B.L.T's? Aw, not cool, dude!" Beastboy whined.

Starfire tilted her head to the side and raised her hand.

"Please, what is a B.L.T?" she asked.

Cyborg's mouth dropped with his shoulders as he shook his head in defeat. He put his hand on the Tameranian's shoulder, gently turning her to lead her from the room. Even Robin lost the angry disposition and stiff posture at the innocence of his girlfriends question.

"Girl, what am I going to do with you?" Cyborg muttered.

Raven watched as her friends began to exit the infirmary, her face half hidden by the shadows of her hood. Starfire turned her head to look over her shoulder and looked at Raven expectantly.

"Will you be joining us for the, B.L.T's, friend Raven?" she asked.

Raven raised her hand to her shoulder, her back muscles trembling at the slowly closing wound between her shoulder blades. The injury still stung despite the demonic DNA that sped the healing process.

"I'm going to meditate first. I won't be long." She promised.

Raven did not wait for a reply from her friends as she let go of her physical form and let the shadows swallow her into the floor. When she was gone, the rest of the Titans began to walk down the hall toward the main room.

"I'll make the B.L.T's" Beastboy said as he began to run to the elevator.

"Oh, no you don't, Grass stain. You'll use that tofu bacon and ruin them!" Cyborg yelled as he took persuit.

Starfire followed with a confused look on her face but stopped when she no longer felt the warmth of Robin next to her. She turned, her lips turning into a frown as she saw how Robin looked angrily at something in his hand.

"Robin?" she asked.

He looked up and felt a tug at his chest at the sad look on Starfire's face. He sighed as she came to his side and looked down at the long piece of blood stained shale in his palm. Her brows raised in confusion as she placed a light hand on his forearm.

"There's something she's not telling us." He said, his hand closing angrily over the stone.

*.*.*

Thunder rumbled lazily outside of the Titans Tower, the afternoon sky turning gray as a storm began to move in. The wind had picked up and the ocean churned in response. Static filled the air and Raven could feel that it could have the potential of being a heavy storm. She stood at her window, her eyes watching the ocean slap against the rocks, her tattered uniform traded for a fresh one. It had only taken fifteen minutes of meditation to make the wounds completely vanish. Her palm was once again whole and the injury from the shale was completely closed, leaving her skin smooth and pale.

Raven had gone down to the main room shortly after healing, sitting silently at the counter to sip a cup of Herbal tea. She had never been a heavy eater, perferring a diet of liquids and fruits, with the occasional pizza. Having been raised by monks on Azararth, she had always kept to a smaller diet, fasting being a part of her training to keep her emotions and powers under control. Cyborg already knew her eating habits well, being the one 'good' cook of the Titans, and had a hot mug waiting for her when she came in.

Initially, Raven had been slightly concerned with returning to the company of her friends so quickly. Robin had thoroughly irritated her and she had suspected more questions and suspicious looks from the Boy Wonder, but had only been greeted with the familiar argument between Cyborg and Beastboy.

"There is no way that Tofu is going in my deluxe B.L.T!" Cyborg yelled.

He was holding his frying pan high in the air, his mechanical arm extended in order to keep a fuming Beastboy from snatching it.

"Come on, Tin Man. Its not like it will fry your circuits or anything!" Beastboy said.

The green changling quickly shifted into an octopus and reached a long tentical up to swiftly yank the skillet from Cyborg. Raven had rolled her eyes at the struggle of blue metal parts and green limbs as the two began to wrestle for dominance over the cookware.

Starfire and Robin had retreated to the couch, his arm draped around her shoulders while his other hand clicked the remote. She was busy squirting an obsene amount of mustard onto her sandwhich, her face almost cherubic in it's joy. Raven had been finishing her tea when Robin glanced over his shoulder at her, only one side of his face visible to her.

"Did you heal okay?" he had asked.

Raven detected the guarded tone in his voice. He was still suspicous of her, believing there was more to the story than she was telling, which there was. She kept her face stoic, not letting anything betray her thoughts. There was a slight tug on the invisible thread between them. The bond that had formed when she had entered his mind to try and free him from Slade. Thankfully, it was a one way tie. He had willingly let her in, to see the panicked thoughts and painful memories that were his own. She had never let him into her mind, keeping her walls completely up, making it impossible for him to penetrate her defenses.

Raven knew that he was testing the bond, hoping to find a way in but she clamped down tight, her training in meditation with the monks and magic with Malchior making her far more advanced than he ever could be. She could see the droop in his eyes as he hit the mental wall.

"Yes. I'm fine now." She replied.

Robin had only nodded and returned his attention to the television, visibly shuddering at the giant foot with festering fungus that greeted his eyes. Starfire sat attentivly, taking great joy in the 'documentary'.

After finishing her tea, Raven returned to the sanctuary of her room, but found herself pacing the walls like a caged animal. She was feeling antsy, the lingering traces of the thief reminding her of their previous encounter, and his bold actions. Her fingers lifted to trace her lips but halted before reaching her chin. A warmth had spread over her abdomin and she shook her head, refusing to let his little 'stunt' to get the better of her.

A brief streak of lightning raced through the thick clouds and she caught a momentary glimpse of her reflection in the glass of her window. Frowning slightly, she drew her cloak closer to her body, not enjoying the unfamiliar exposed feeling of her legs. Her fingertips brushed the smooth skin of her thigh before she used her power to retrieve something from her closet. She held out her hand and let the soft material of her leather pants fall into her grasp.

Yanking on the tight garment, she breathed a sigh of relief at the warmth that enveloped her legs. Raven did not switch out her boots, preferring her normal ones over the combats, and adjusted her belt. Rain began to pelt her window and she glanced outside to see the torrental downpour. Raising her hood she opened a portal and stepped in, leaving her room empty and quiet.

*.*.*

Shadows had always been her concealer, folding around her like a mothers protective embrace. They always clung to her, and she to them, and she did not fear the dark. Raven stood in an alley of Jump City, her eyes watching the orange glow of the street light at the entance. Her back was to the wall and she had a thin layer of power arched above her, protecting her from the pelting rain. The wind was far less intense within the walls of the alley but it did little to stop the torrent of water spewed forth from the bowels of the storm. Thunder bellowed above and was followed closely by a flash of lightning, making a pedestrian with an umbrella shriek with fright, and Raven, unphased, waited patiently.

Purposefully leaving the tower, she had teleported to the buisness district of the city. Ignoring the weather and any glances from citizens, she had walked down random streets before teleporting through random alleys and intersections. Raven wanted to be seen, wanted her presence to be known. Finally, she had stopped and waited, her empathy picking up on a familiar signiture, one that she had been looking for.

He was biding his time, and she could feel him close by, carefully assesing the situation, making sure that she was not luring him into a trap for the Titans. When she felt his satisfaction she locked onto his signiture and rushed through her teleportation, reappearing directly in front of him. Red-X's eyes widened in suprise as he automatically crouched down into a defensive stance, one of his X-blades extending from the top of his wrists.

"I'm not here to fight." Raven said.

The rain fell heavily upon the two and there was a lazy roll of thunder, Raven keeping somewhat dry thanks to her powers. Red-X lifted one brow and relaxed, his weapon disappearing into the 'x' shaped design on the back of his glove. His ever present amusement was rolling off of him in waves as he approached her, coming so close that, if he bent over, he could shelter his head from the storm beneath her awning of power.

"Looking for me, Sweets?" he asked.

Raven narrowed her eyes at him, her stomach fluttering slightly at his close proximity. She was not enjoying the sensations in her body. They were familiar and she knew their consiquenses, but he was constantly challenging her, testing her, and there was no way that she would let him win. He had wanted to know why she saved him back on the mountain road and Raven would give him his answer. Once that matter was cleared between them, there would be nothing more. They would go back to being heroin and thief and she could disappear from his attention. Once again being the Titan that melded into the workings of the team, easily unnoticed.

"I've come to give you what you wanted." She answered.

Lightning flashed above them and the rain kept coming, pelting the two as they stood on the rooftop just above the alley that she had previously been. Raven could sense the catch in his chest, along with the intrigue that followed. He bent down slightly, the white lenses of his mask narrowing as he looked at her.

"Giving it up so easily, Sunshine?"he asked.

Raven frowned at him, her fingers twitching in an effort to not form a fist. She kept her face stoic, holding his gaze as she became more aware of his close proximity and less aware of the rain around them. The pressure between building as he took another cautious step forward, putting his face so close to hers that she was able to see the slight groove of the red 'x' in his skull mask. His voice was lower and her heart raced at his words, his breath tickling her lips as he spoke.

"Or did you come back for more?"


	7. Chapter 7

Her heart raced inside of her chest at the feel of his breath so close to her lips. The cold rain of a November storm fell heavily around them, streaks of lightning snaking through the sky, but she paid them no heed. Her attention was focused on the thief in front of her, on how close he stood, his chest only a few inches from her own, the slightest brush of material against her mouth, and the unwanted fluttering in her chest. Raven grit her teeth and levitated back, not allowing him to close the gap any further.

Red-X watched her, one brow raised, as she touched back down two yards away. She could feel the intrigue coming off of him along with something she could not completely identify. Something that reminded her of her own desire for competition. Raven frowned, the pounding in her chest intensifying as she assesed him beneath the cover of her hood. It was a game to him, a game that he wanted her to play, but she would not allow herself to be interested.

"I was returning the favor." She said.

Red-X narrowed his eyes at her as his arms crossed over his chest. Confusion filled the space between them and Raven swallowed, not liking how her mouth had become so dry. He tilted his head to the side, his gaze heavy on hers. Another flash of lightning lit the sky and Raven felt her eyes flick over him, noting the lean definition of his arms and torso. Mentally swearing at herself, she turned away from him, but looked over her shoulder as a swirl of darkness began to open a few feet in front of her.

"You helped me when Adonis had me pinned. I saved you in return. We're even." She said.

Raven turned her face toward the portal and took a step forward, not wanting to stay with him any longer. Her heart thumped in her chest and her stomach clenched annoyingly. She closed her eyes as she took another step toward her escape, willing the feelings away, they were familiar territory and she would not make the same mistake twice. Annoyance touched her empathy before she felt a physical presence in front of her, blocking the way to her portal.

"Not so fast, Sunshine. We're not done yet." Red-X said.

Raven glared at him as he stood in her way, the white lenses of his mask doing little to hide the intensity of his stare.

" I am." She said angrily.

Letting the portal close, Raven lifted from the roof and began to fly in the direction of the tower, but was halted by a hard yank on her cloak. Her back slapped against the firm wall of Red-X's chest before one arm snaked around her stomach, his synthesized voice close to her ear.

"Come on, Cutie. You know you want to stay." He said.

Raven's eyes flashed white as she felt his grip on her waist tighten. His amusement flowed through him and into her back, making her anger rise. She escaped his hold in a rushed teleportation, leaving him confused for onl y a brief second before reappearing in the air behind him. She allowed her power to flow through her arm, the dark energy grasping him in three hooked claws that clamped down tightly. Red-X's eyes widened as her attack pushed him further into the air, but as she was about to throw him onto the neighboring rooftop he thrust his palm forward and sent a burst of Xenothium powerd shockwave down the length of darkness.

The red electricity was too fast for Raven to dodge but her reflexes kicked in and she abandoned the power of her offense in favor of a dome shaped shield. Gritting her teeth against the intensity of the attack, she waited for the sparks to fade before dropping her defense. Rain immedietly pelted against her as a clap of thunder sounded above. The sudden noise distracted her from a faint sound resembling insect wings and she was not prepared for the three 'X' blades that flew down at her.

One of the blades managed to strike the brooch on her cloak, making the garment gape open before sliding from her shoulders, leaving her head exposed to the downpour of rain. Raven leapt away from the remaining two, her eyes searching the air above her as her palms charged with cold energy. A pressure at the back of her knee made her lose her balance as a firm hand pushed against her shoulder. She landed against the roof, her eyes glaring at the skull mask above her. Red-X kneeled over her, one hand gripping her wrist, while the other was supporting his weight just beside her face.

"Nice try." He said.

Raven's empathy was running rampant at his close proximity. She could feel arrogence and a rush of victory within him, coupled with a warmth that she could not place. Her own body felt almost hot beneath his and she was all too aware of the strength of his hold on her. She felt his leg pressed against the inside of her inner thigh by her knee and a shiver went down her spine. A constriction of her breath made her aware of how his chest barely grazed hers.

"Let me go." she said.

Her face remained neutral despite the havoc that he seemed to be having on her and her eyes widened as he lowered his face, the narrowed eyed glare of his mask making her hold her breath.

"Come on, Sweets. We both know you could leave if you wanted to." He said.

Raven's mouth dropped open and she felt her eyes go wide at his words. Her brain scrambled for something to say, but she had become aware of her free hand and how it did nothing but lay at her side, her fingertips resting on the soft material of his cloak. Unable to protest his words she merely lay there, staring up at him as he held her down, the rain continuing to drench them as the thunder sounded further away.

Perhaps it was the strength of his ever present amusement and arrogence influencing her empathy, or maybe it was her own desire to misbehave after a long life of strict control, but she felt herself wanting to play his game, and she wanted to win. Smirking up at him, Raven lifted her free hand and gripped the area where his neck met his shoulder, her fingers feeling his muscles tense in preperation for an attack as his hands closed tighter around her wrist. She lifted her upper body, her chest pressing slightly against his as her face tilted to the side, and her lips turned up into a mischevious smile.

There was the sharp slap of his shock and the widening of his eyes before Raven pressed her lips firmly against the material of his mask. She could feel the shape of his mouth beneath the fabric and a thrill went down her abdomin when he pressed back. Heat built between them as she barely parted her lips, the invitation as obvious as it was cunning and she felt his frustration thread through him. Red-X released her wrist and brought his hand up to the almost unnoticable gray line at the base of his collar.

Raven felt a shock of anticipation go from her belly down to her legs, her hand tensing on his shoulder as she raised one brow up at him when a shrill beeping caused them both to freeze. Turning her head away from him she looked quizically at the blinking red light coming from the cracked glass of her brooch.

"There's an attack." She said.

The realization of what she had done pulsed through her concience. She was a Teen Titan and he was an enemy. Someone who had broken into their tower and stolen something from her leader. Disapointment and irritation eminated from him as Red-X removed his hand from the line of his throat. Raven narrowed her eyes as she noticed that it was his cloak that snapped together to form a protective fastener for the skull mask.

Sighing, she placed her palm against his chest, directly above the red 'x' on his left pectoral muscle and began to push him off of her. One gray glove quickly seized her hand as he leaned his face in closer, the glare of his eyes boring into hers. She could feel his breath on her skin and she felt a pang of disappointment.

"You owe me, Sunshine." He said.

Raven shook her head and fixed him with a hard look as she began to sink into a portal beneath her.

"Not anymore." She said.

*.*.*

The wormhole was cold and infinitly dark, a place not meant for most, but for her it was almost home. When moving in the voids between darkness and reality, she knew every road, both manmade and forgotten. There was no place outside of her reach, no dimension she could not enter, but despite the endless amount of places to go, she could not escape her own thoughts. Images of him plagued her concience and she felt guilt at her own actions toward him. Now, as she opened the door of her portal, Raven hesitated.

It would be so easy for her to escape the accusing gazes of her friends, to run and hide, and it was very enticing. Raven stepped from the portal, her lips set in a frown as she mentaly scolded herself. She had only felt cowardice before, when she had fled from the library and the prophecy. It seemed so long ago, despite the fact it was only a few years, and she still loathed the fact that she took the easy way out, even if she did return to face her demons.

Raven had returned to the main room of the tower, expecting to find her team at the information screen, ready and waiting to move out, but she only found the room empty and quiet. The lights were switched off, except for a bulb above the stove, and she could see the lightning flash in the distance through the window.

"You been outside?"

Raven flicked her eyes to the couch, where she found Cyborg sitting, the red glow of his left eye piercing the darkness. She lifted a hand to her hair and felt the tight ringlets that dripped just beneath her chin. Her suit was soaked through and her leather pants clung almost painfull to her legs and hips. She knew that there was no way to deny it, so she merely nodded, her gaze slowly moving around the room.

"I thought there was an attack." She said.

Cyborg got up from his spot and walked into the kitchen, rummaging through a drawer until he produced a large hand towel and tossed it to her. Catching it with her powers, she smiled gratefully at him.

Her empathy always had difficulty with Cyborg, his mechanical half blocking out the human part just enough to make him hard for her to read. After so long she realized that she did not need to tap into his mind to know how he felt, he tended to wear everything on his sleeve. Right now she could tell that he was on her side for the moment, and that he knew something was up. Sighing, Raven ran the towel through her hair, ruffling it in order to free herself of the majority of water log before speaking.

"Cyborg," she started, but went quiet when he held up his hand.

"You don't have to say anything. I don't know what's going on, but I can tell you're not ready to talk about it yet. If it gets too heavy, we're all here. Just don't let the world end over it." He said.

Raven winced noticably and Cyborg frowned, realizing what he said, but she offered him a small smile to let him know it was forgiven.

"Where's Robin?" she asked.

Cyborg shook his head as he went to the fridge, his hand opening the freezer compartment.

"He's analysing that disc that Red-X dropped. Trying to find out what he was after." He said.

Raven frowned at the mention of Red-X, her hands gripping the towel harder as she remembered the warmth of his body above hers. A warm shock went down her legs and she shook her head, pushing him from her thoughts. Cyborg raised an eyebrow as he searched the icy depths of the freezer, his hands pushing aside contents that did not seem to his liking.

"Sounds like him. I'm going to dry off. Hey, Cyborg?"

He turned his head from the freezer to look at her, his face neutral as he watched her walk to the doors.

"Thanks for calling me back." She said.

Cyborg smiled at her before returning his gaze to the freezer, his hand pulling out a container. Despite his computerized parts, Raven suddenly felt the anger and disgust rolling off him so strongly that she could not help but chuckle.

"Beastboy!Did you switch out all the ice cream for that soy stuff?" he yelled.

*.*.*

The storm had begun to move away, making the rain die down from its pelting fury to a steady shower. Thunder still rolled, though it was far away and less frequent, but the sky was thick with clouds, and the night seemed far darker than usual. The Titans Tower was mostly quiet, the inhabitants having disbanded and gone to their respective area's, each honoring the other's privacy as the clocks all told the the time to be quarter past two in the morning.

All of the clocks in the tower were digital, save for one. The small, old fashioned, desk clock on Raven's shelf ticked loudly in the still silence of her room, and she found herself focusing on that one sound. Laying on her bed, a worn Azerathian text opened and resting on her stomach, she stared at the ceiling. The candle that she had been reading by had burned out over an hour ago, but she did not move to replace it, nor did she attempt sleep. Her mind was far too troubled to allow for rest, and she finally succumbed to the plethora of thoughts and images that assualted her.

Red-X.

Letting out a sigh she brought her hand up to rub the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger. Despite the fact that he was the majority of her recent problems, he was not the root. Raven had come to realize that it was her own desire to misbehave, to give in to her impulses that had caused all of this. From the moment she had realized that the world would not end if she gave in to trivial, if not a mischevious, urges, there had been an invisible fissure between her and her team.

Taking the R-Cycle, though thrilling, had caused her to abuse her access to Robin's mind, something that caused her guilt, now she was hiding her chance meetings with the thief, and her allowing him to leave each time. Now, she had inadvertantly drawn Cyborg into the mix, even if he was not aware of what she was doing, he had somehow known that she had left the tower and called her back before Robin found out. Her 'big brother' may have said that he did not want to know what was going on with her, but he knew something was up, and he was protecting her, for the moment.

Raven sighed and pulled herself off of her bed, allowing the book to slide from her belly and onto the rumpled blanket. She walked quietly through her room, pacing the walls as she unconsiously ran a hand over the spines of her books, not bothering with the light switch. Her eyes were used to the dark, and she could see fine. Stopping in front of her open closet she glimpsed the thin, full length mirror tucked into the back. It had been built into the closet, but she rarely used it. Now, she caught a glance of herself, her face stoic as ever, violet hair falling just below her chin. Having shed the dripping leather pants, she had changed into a dry uniform and kept her legs bare, the suit allowing her to see how she had changed over the years. She had grown slightly since she first met the Titans. Her legs were longer and not too thin and her face had matured slightly, resembling her mother a little more.

Never being a narcisses, Raven glanced on the floor of the closet and spotted her black helmet. She frowned slightly and used her powers to levitate it to her hands. Running her fingers over the smooth surface of the headware, she thought to the bike that now sat in the garage, awaiting Cyborgs attentive hands. The machines 'gadgets', as Robin called them, had stopped it from recieving too much damage, but the R-Cycle was currently out of commission due to a punctured gas tank and shredded tires. Raven could not help but feel a sense of loss, knowing that she would probably never ride the bike again, mostly due to guilt.

"You know, Cutie, you can always sit behind me."

Raven dropped the helmet to the floor, her posture going stiff as she felt her powers make the mirror in her closet fracture. Her empathy was picking up on his arrogence and noncholance, as if it did not bother him at all that he was standing in the home of his enemies, like Daniel in the lions den. She scanned the tower, touching each of her friends, searching for any inclination that they were aware of an intruder, but she only found the calm, catatonic bliss of sleep. Keeping herself centered she turned to face him, finding him leaning against her window, head tilted to the side, arms crossed over his chest, his face hidden by the shadows of the unlit room.

"I don't ride bitch." She said.

Red-X chuckled, the synthesized voice sounding obscenely loud in the silence and Raven balled her fists.

"Get out. Before I alert the others." She growled.

His laughter stopped but she could feel his amusement, it was filling the space between them, and it was mixed with confidence. They both knew it would not matter if she did wake the rest of the Titans, he would be gone before they even rolled out of their beds.

"Not yet, Sunshine. You still owe me." He said.

Raven grit her teeth, her anger churning in her stomach as she remembered their earlier encounter. The shape of his mouth through the mask was still fresh in her mind, and a little shock had gone from her chest to her groin, making her fume in the darkness.

"No. I don't." She said.

Her eyes flashed white in the shadows as she lifted a hand, preparing to grab him with black energy but he disappeared quickly before she could get a lock on him. Warmth spreak across her back as he tilted his head toward her ear.

"Don't deny it, Toots. You've been waiting up for me." He said.

Raven growled at the warm breath that tickled her ear, dark energy crackling off of her like static. With one pulse of power, she pushed him back with a sharp bolt that sent him into the nearby wall. Within a second, Raven had levitated from the floor, just enough to be eye level with him, and let the energy flow through her hand, the power acting as lengthened fingers as she gripped him just beneath the joining of his collar bones. Her eyes glowed white and she could see his mask in the darkness. His own eyes were narrowed and she could imagine the smirk behind the skull.

"You're wasting your time." She said between grit teeth.

Red-X raised one brow, unphased by the grip she had on him, or the sound of the mirror cracking even more.

"Actually, I think it's well worth it." He said.

Raven felt her back quiver and she tightened her hold, her empathy pushing against him, trying to break down his walls and discover his true intentions. She did not believe that he was here just because of their last encounter, there had to be an alterior motive, something she had not seen yet.

"Why? Starfire's the one you had your eyes on, she may even go easier on you." She said.

Red-X chucled at her, his head tilting to the side as he narrowed his eyes at her.

"You jealous, Sunshine?" he asked.

Raven felt her concentration flicker at his words, the white glow leaving her eyes as she combed her mind for a response. Red-X smirked as her grip on him loosened and before she could react, he had grabbed her wrist with one hand and swung her to the left. One of his feet thrust out, knocking her off of her own and he used the momentum of his move and her fall to put her against the wall, where she had just had him. Now Raven was the one pinned, both of her wrists held in one of his hands behind her back, his other hand holding her left sholder against the wall while his abdomin pressed against hers, securing her in place.

Heat filled her limbs at the feel of his body pressed against hers and a small part of her at the strength of his grip. Her breath caught in her throat as she felt the closeness of his mask and she could not stop the shiver that went through her.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but good girls aren't my type. I just like to ruffle Bird Boy's feathers." He said.

Rampant thoughts and emotions ran through her as she took in a shuddering breath. She was supposed to be a hero, to have unwavering fortitude in the face of evil, to only be on the side of the good, but she had never been completely on that side. There was a part of her that enjoyed doing wrong, that liked the taboo and the thrill that went with it, and that was the part that was stopping her from escaping his grasp, wasn't it?

"What makes you think I'm your type?" she asked, her voice strong despite the termoil she felt.

Red-X released his hold on her shoulder and the grip on her wrists lessened considerably, enough to where she could pull them free, but she kept them as they were. Tension built around them as the only sound was the ticking of the clock in the darkness. Raven's empathy could feel the confidence in him as he bent his head closer, the material of his mask barely grazing the side of her mouth.

"I don't see you trying to get away." He replied.

Raven felt her heart pound as she felt him move his hand up, his knuckles barely skimming against her shoulder in the process, making her skin flush. There was an audible click in the shadows and only a moment later she felt his fingers find her chin, his grip firm but unpainful. Another jolt went through her body as she felt his bare lips claiming her own. A gasp escaped her throat as her back arched slightly and he pressed against her.

His kiss was rough, the pressure of his mouth almost dominating as his hand moved from her chin, down to the bend of her neck, his fingers pressed against her back as his thumb stroked the side of her throat. Raven could not help the next gasp that caused her mouth to part slightly and Red-X took advantage of the opening. His tongue swept into the warmth of her mouth, stealing her breath and demanding that she respond.

Despite the small voice in the back of her mind that was protesting what was going on, Raven felt herself falling into her darker desire. She was revelling in the thrill of the moment, just as she did when she rode the R-Cycle, and she wanted to take the risks. Pressing her upper body completely against his, she made room between herself and the wall, and groaned when Red-X responded by using his body to close the gap, his body now completely pressed against hers, and she did not mind that his hand still held her wrists in place against her back.

Their breaths were few and far between, both only concerned with the others reactions as they deepened the kiss, and he let out a satisfied growl when she nipped his bottom lip with her teeth. Finally, after what felt to her like hours, he pulled away, and Raven took in an unsteady breath. Silence sat betwen them and she could feel his sense of victory. Releasing her wrists, but keeping his body flush against hers, she felt him adjust his mask before another click confirmed that it was once again secure.

"See you soon, Sweets." He said.

Raven could feel the promise in his words as much as hear it before his warmth disappeared and she was left standing in the darkness, her heart pounding and a small smile on her lips..


	8. Chapter 8

Meditation, for many, it is nothing more than a trendy hobby. Something to be used a few times before casting it aside for the next popular health craze. For select others, it is a way of life, and for Raven, it was and always will be an absolute necessity. Her upbringing on Azarath was conducted by the monks, kind in their ways yet strict with her tutalage. As a child, she was, of course, prone to childlike tendancies, wanting to play and express herself like any other adolescent, but it was not to be. Raven was told that her first two years were very difficult for her caretakers. Having no comprehension beyond her natural intincts and raw emotions, her powers had reaped havoc around her, labeling her a danger and forcing her to be confined.

When she had been old enough, the monks had started their training immedietly. She could vaguely remember the constant, grueling hours of sedentary meditation. Her teachers would also instruct her in an Azarath version of martial arts, as a way to move the body but still remain in meditation. These endless hours of strict training and confinement went on for years, her only reprieve being sleep. Food was offered from time to time, fasting being a way to learn self control and discipline, and she learned to sate hunger pains with escape into books.

Raven had not minded her upbringing, though difficult and lonely, her people had been kind to her. She had been given the nescessary tools in which to keep her emotions under control, and after many years, she had embraced them, no longer keeping them seperate from herself. The defeat of Trigon had proven that she was in control, not only of her fate, but of herself. Though, there were times when extra meditation was needed, and this was one of those times.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zynthos."

The mantra that she had favored since the beginning of her training came softly from her lips. Almost inaudible to her ears as she floated in the air, her posture and face relaxed despite the disturbance she felt inside. Concentration was eluding her, making grasping her center difficult. Every time she thought she had it, her mind would bring back the memory of a strong hand grasping her wrists and the warmth of a heated kiss in the shadows. Raven felt her brow furrow in irritation at the small shock she felt through her chest. She could still remember the soft heat of his mouth, and the taste of him seemed to linger on her tongue, something resembling dark mocha, bittersweet yet satisfying.

Her hand lifted to her mouth and she found her lips slightly parted. Opening her eyes, Raven looked at the darkness of the early morning. The ocean was so steady that she could not see where it met the sky at the horizon. She had purposefully faced away from the city that morning, not wanting to be greeted by the distant lights, her only desire being that of solitude and silence.

"Red-X." She said angrily.

After her late night visit from the thief, she had not had any kind of real rest. Her sleep being brief and filled with images of a skull mask and the feel of a strong body pressed against hers. Her waking moments had been unpleasant as well, guilt coupled with anger, yet deep beneath it all, she felt the faintest traces of satisfaction and desire for more. Her inner termoil had been so chaotic that she had managed to completely shatter her full length mirror in the closet, the sound being the final straw on the metephorical camels back, and she had donned her cloak before retreating to the rooftop. Her meditation was just as unsatisfying as her attempt at sleep. Despite her mastery of control and mental discipline, she could not stop the memories of her kiss with the enemy.

Raven let out a sigh of defeat and phased through the roof, her metephysical form slicing through layers of cement and steel before she rematerialized in the main room. All was quiet and dark as she went to the stove and she took comfort in it. Turning on the front burner she placed her kettle on the coil, her powers opening a nearby cabinet and retrieving a packet of black tea. She took her mug from the dish strainer in the sink and opened the tea bag, her eyes glancing at the honey that sat on the counter to her left. Frowning slightly she ignored the bottle, deciding that she should do a fast in order to refresh herself on discipline, which meant no indulgences, big or small.

"You're up early, even for you."

Her slender fingers tightened around her mug momentarily, but she kept her posture neutral. Glancing over her shoulder, she watched as Robin walked to the fridge, his face as stoic as hers, but her empathy told her more. He was tired, and he was being cautious, not the most promising of combinations.

"I could say the same for you" she replied.

Robin opened the door of the fridge and peered inside, his eyes looking at everything but seeming to not notice anything.

"I never really went to sleep." He said.

Raven felt one of her brows twitch. She remembered touching the minds of each of her friends when Red-X had been in the tower, and all of them had been sleeping, even Robin. She turned and leaned against the counter, her eyes watching him as he searched. It was similar to her talk with Cyborg the night before, but there was no brotherly affection in the air this time, only uncomfortable tension.

Robin glanced up from the contents of the fridge to see Raven's watchful stare. He frowned slightly, the rigidity of his shoulders telling her how tired he was.

"I was trying to analyze the disc that Red-X dropped in the alley. I dozed off at the computer a few times." He admitted.

Heat spread across Raven's face and down her neck at the mention of Red-X, making her thankful for the dark room and the hood over her face. She was suddenly very aware of her lips and there was the brief taste of dark mocha in her mouth. The air around her began to feel thicker and she could see Robin's grip on the handle of the fridge tighten. A shrill whistling filled the silence, and Raven gratefully turned to tend to her kettle.

"Did you find anything?" she asked.

Keeping her back to him, Raven began to steep her tea, her eyes watching as the steaming water began to turn brown.

"The disc is secured. I need to crack a series of codes before I can access any information." Robin said.

Raven nodded once, looking intently at the beverage in her hands. Silence stood between them and she lifted the rim of the mug to her lips, blowing gently to cool the water before taking a sip. Time seemed to drift by in agonizing slowness, the tension between them only building as each contemplated what was to be said next. Robin closed the door to the fridge, the sudden jerk of his movement making the appliance shake slightly. Raven narrowed her eyes, but kept her stance relaxed, her hands still cradling the mug as she took another long sip and turned to watch him.

There was a tingling sensation just beneath the gem on her forehead. A weak, but persistant pressure that made her frown.

"Stop it, Robin."She warned.

Robin turned to face her, his features almost as unreadable as hers, but the slight furrow between his brows told her that he was not pleased. He walked to the counter that stood between them, and she could see the tensed motions of his gait, irritation crackling off of him and into the air, making the room feel charged and oppressive.

"Raven, what is going on with you lately?" he asked, his tone on the verge of demanding.

Years of discipline and solitary meditation helped Raven to keep her impatience minimal, but she could not help the way her brow twitched, nor the tightening of her fingers around the mug. She caught Robin's momentary frown, and she could feel the weight of his eyes as they watched her, taking in every miniscule movement that would give him any indication of an opening in her defenses. He was assesing her like an oponent, as if she were an enemy that he could not trust.

Even in the time of the prophecy, when she was fighting her demons, both literally and metephorically, he had not lost his trust in her. When she had retreated from him, not wanting to divulge her destiny, he had never demanded the truth, only asking for her to allow him to help her. Now he was on the brink of anger, almost on the verge of forcing her to divulge the truth, and she knew he would use anything in his arsenal to do so, whether it be intimidation or infiltrating her mind.

Frowning, she shifted the handle of the mug into one hand, letting her right fall back into the protective folds of her cloak as she walked towards the door. She had never been one to allow anyone, not enemy nor teacher, to force entry into her private thoughts, and she was not going to permit her friends to do so either. The only time that the sanctity of her mind had been encroached upon was by her father, and she had made sure he could never do so again.

"It's none of your concern." She said.

As she moved to pass him, Robin angrily shot out a hand and grabbed her wrist, making the mug almost fall from her grasp, the hot beverage threatening to spill over the brim. Annoyance radiated through Raven as she snapped her head in his direction. The lights above them flickered on mementarily and a hairline fracture appeared on the side of her cup.

"Being the leader of this team makes it my concern. Your hiding something, Raven, and I want to know what." He demanded.

Gritting her teeth, Raven turned her head from him, using her powers to open the doors of the main room.

"Let it go, Robin." She ordered, referring to the subject as much as her arm.

As she moved to pull her wrist free of his grasp she felt his other hand grab her hood and yank it down. The heat of her anger and shock filled her chest and went up her neck, her eyes flashing red as she slowly turned her gaze from the doors back to him. His face was hard and the grip on her wrist tightened, just on the side of painful. He had torn away the privacy of her hood, and the intensified pressure on her forehead told her that he was attempting to do the same with her mind.

"Tell me. That's an order, Raven." He yelled.

There was a harsh push against their bond and Raven finally had had enough. The sickening sound of ceramic shattering echoed the air, before black energy flamed out from the chakra beneath her gem and shot to the center of his forehead. Robin cried out as he was sent flying back against the counter. The lights flickered on above them again before, once more, they were in darkness. Raven's mug lay in pieces on the floor, steam wafting up from the tea that had spilled across the tile. Robin groaned as he rubbed his forhead with one gloved hand, his head throbbing from the force of her attack.

"Intimidation and intrusion is pointless, Robin. I thought that wasn't necessary between us." She said.

Robin looked up and was met with the angry glare of Raven, but he also caught the slight regret in her eyes. He watched as she turned away, her feet making almost no noise as she made to exit the room. Before she could leave he spoke, his eyes noting the slightest slump in her shoulders at his words.

"Neither did I." He said.

*.*.*

Outraged and unable to properly meditate, Raven found herself pacing the confines of the garage, her face set into a stern scowl and her powers flaring against her control. She was enraged with Red-X for his brazen actions towards her, Robin for his sudden mistrust and disregard of her mental privacy, but mostly at herself. She had been the one to allow everything to escelate to this point, and to permit herself to betray her team by giving in to their enemy. Her tongue flicked out to barely touch her lips at the brief memory of her kiss with Red-X.

"Damnit." She muttered.

Angrier at herself, she focused on a nearby bench and a few specific tools. A wrench levitated into her waiting hand and she yanked her cloak off and threw it on the hood of the T-Car. She made her way to the R-Cycle, which was elevated off of the ground on two stands, and quicky removed the reatining pin from the rear axel nut. Raven decided that if she could not meditate to relieve her thoughts, then she would attempt to obtain some closure through physical labor, and try to fix Robin's bike.

Her work was slow, not having the level of mechanical fortitude that Cyborg possesed, but she did find it easier to think when there was a task at hand. It took her two hours, but she had successfully changed the two shredded tires for new ones, and had used fractions of her powers to make smooth any dents that marred it's surface. Raven was laboring to remove the punctured gas tank when a large hand fell on her shoulder, making her cry out in fright.

"Not too bad, Rae." Cyborg said.

It took all of Raven's self control to not phase throuh the floor, as she sometimes did when she was given a good scare, instead she fixed him with an irritated scowl before returning to her work. The R-Cycle's unique design was making it exceedinly difficult to remove the as tank, and she was becoming just as annoyed as when she began. Cyborg gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze and she sighed.

"Let me get it, you take a break." He said.

Moving to the side, Raven sat cross-legged beside him, her dirty fingers resting on her knees, and watched as his built in tools began to make easy work of the job that she had struggled at. With her hands now idle, so was her thoughts, and she found herself drifting back to the night before, and she felt a flush go up her torso at the memory of a body pressed against her own. As soon as that image had come, another took its place, one an altercation between two friends, and the growing fissure she felt with her team.

"Alright, girl. Spill." Cyborg said.

Raven raised an eyebrow at her friend, but he did not remove his attention from the bike, his hands carefully removing the tank and setting it to his left. He leaned up to inspect the area where it had been, making sure there was no more damage that needed to be delt with before installing a new one.

"What makes you think I need to?" she asked.

Cyborg shrugged as a small blow torch came out of his forefinger.

"You look like BB just put ink in your tea." He replied.

Raven grimaced at the thought, her brain picturing a green octopus mischeviously squirting its own ink into a waiting mug of herbal tea. She made a mental note to carefully inspect her beverages for awhile.

"Come on, Rae. Something happened between you and Robin this morning." He said.

Raven frowned and felt her shoulders slump, it had been an ugly scene for both of them.

"He told you?" she asked.

Cybrog finished soddering whatever he had found and pulled his hand from the bike before standing up to retrieve the new tank. It never ceased to amaze Raven how quickly he could get parts for whatever technical job he had, and she assumed it was Fix-It that supplied him everything he needed.

"Didn't have to. The guy's been on the training field since I woke up, taking out everything he comes up against, and your in the garage playing mechanic." He said.

Raven sighed, not bothering to evade him. Since the moment they had met, he could tell when something was bothering her, and now was no different.

"He cornered me this morning and ordered me to tell him what's been going on with me." She started.

Cyborg began to attatch the new gas tank, a job that would take normal mechanics hours, sometimes a day to accomplish, but for him looked like a few minutes. He nodded, a silent encouragement for her to proceed.

"He pushed things too far and I kinda gave him a mental slap in the face." She admitted.

He chuckled at that, and Raven failed to find the humor in her statement, but she always had a hard time with jokes.

"The kid tends to make an ass of himself sometimes." He said.

Raven felt a small twitch at the corner of her lips but her mind was too troubled to allow for laughter.

"He was treating me like an enemy. He's never done that before." She said.

A heavy breath came from her chest and her face mirrored the sadness she felt. Cyborg glanced at his 'little sister' and noticed how defeated she looked. Stopping his work, he turned to her, one big hand going to her shoulder.

"Look, Rae, you know just as well as I do how obsessed the guy can get, and how far we will go to get what he wants. Don't take it too personally." He said.

Raven looked up at him and saw the reassuring smile he gave her.

"He's always honored my privacy before, but now he was willing to attack me to get inside my head. He's never resorted to that with me, not even with Trigon." She said.

Cyborg frowned slightly but he patted her shoulder gently.

"You were keeping your destiny a secret for _our_ own good, not yours. Robin's not used to you hiding something because you want to, so he probably assumes the worst." He explained.

Raven scowled and straightened her posture. Cyborg turned from her and made the final modifications to the bike before filling the new tank with gas.

"What could be worse than ending the world?" she asked.

Cyborg shrugged and Raven could not help the frown that deepened her features.

"Not much I guess, but for Robin? Probably his friend going to the dark side." He said.

Raven glared at Cyborg for the Star Wars reference and she heard him chuckle.

"I'm dark enough already." She countered.

Cyborg shrugged again before reaching over for a nearby gas can.

"Either that or he thinks you'll fall into the arms of the enemy." He said.

A hot blush crept up Raven's face and she suddenly wondered how much her 'Big brother' actually picked up on, but he showed no indication of calling her out on anything, and merely whisteled as he filled the R-Cycle's tank. Closing her eyes, Raven took in a deep breath, knowing that she did not have to worry so much when she was with him. He would not force her to admit anything and she knew she had someone on her side if she needed it. She relaxed a little and felt her conciense finally easing.

"So, how long have you been riding the R-Cycle?" he asked.

**Authors Note:**

I have never been one for 'Authors Notes', but I feel the need to apologize for the tardiness of this latest chapter. There was been a death in the family, that and the difficulty of staying within the character boundaries have made this chapter slightly difficult to write. I know that there is no interaction between Red-X and Raven in this one, but I felt it necessary. I hope you all enjoyed this and I will have the next chapter up as soon as possible. Thank you, please, R&R!


	9. Chapter 9

Time is said to heal all wounds. That, with enough of it, it will mend broken bridges, fade old scars and heal a troubled mind. For the Teen Titans, time did not seem to have the same effect, having very little of it to call their own, but the constant work they had to do to ensure the safety of their city was a more than adequite substitute. Five days had passed since Raven's talk with Cyborg, her confrontation with Robin, and her late visit from Red-X. In the span of those days, she had taken refuge in daily training with the team, and fending off attacks on the city. When she was in battle, whether simulated or real, she could focus on the matter at hand, and her mind would not wander, and in doing so, she kept unwanted memories and feelings of guilt at bay.

Plasmus had made an appearance that particular afternoon, and had come oozing into downtown Jump City through a sewer grate. The amorphous creature was on a tyraid, attacking buildings and the inhabitants, his festering fluids leaving destruction and terror in their wake. When the Titans had arrivied, he was tearing through the wall of a restaraunt, his semi solid arms reaching inside to sieze patrons, his putrid mouth dripping with thick green bile. He had lifted an elderly man just above his snarling teeth, looking to consume the terrified senior when the team intervened.

Robin threw two of his freezing discs at Plasmus's arm and thick ice rapidly spread over its length, effectivley stopping his attempt to drop the man down his throat.

"Freeze, Plasmus!" Robin yelled.

Raven rolled her eyes at the pun, never enjoying when her team mates did such things.

Before Plasmus could break away the layers of ice, Starfire flew in and grabbed the whimpering old man, his lined face burying itself in the Tameranians red hair as she took him a safe distance away. Pedestrians scattered in different directions, their screams filling the air as they made to escape the battle field that 'Fourth' street had become. Plasmus turned away from the restaurant, his attention no longer focused on the diners, but now on those that had interrupted him. With a bubbling screech, he shattered the ice that imprisoned his limb and began to enlarge his arms with the toxic sludge that comprised his body.

Robin and Cyborg lept away from the massive arc of the creatures attack, leaving an opening as Beastboy flew in as a sparrow for speed. When he was only a few yards from his enemy, he shifted into a swordfish, the deadly point of his bill piercing into one of the numerous green eyes, his sleek body swimming through the thick substance and out the otherside, before shifting back into a sparrow upon exit. Plasmus let out a gurgling roar as the acrid fluid dripped from the gaping hole in his face. As thin strands of his body began to refill the void, Cyborg shot a blast from his sonic cannon, the attack further enlarging the gap.

Plasmus suddenly split in two, his gelatinous arms lengthening down and reaching into the sewer grate that he had originally appeared from. Raven's eyes widened as the monster began to double in size, his limb pulsing as he used the biohazordous waste to enhance his power.

"We must stop him before he gets too large!" Starfire yelled.

The alien's eyes glowed green as she clasped her hands together, a neon orb growing around her fists and larger than her body. Flying at highspeed, she lifted her arms above her head and brought them down as hard as she could into Plasmus's torso. The villian made a nonsensical bellow as his arm melted away from his body, becoming nothing more than puddles of bubbling sludge on the pavement.

Raven looked to the slate gray sky above her, the plume of her breath thick as a freezing breeze stirred the hood of her cloak. Her brain kicked into over drive and she searched the streets, her eyes locking onto three fire hydrants spaced on the end of each block of the street. Flying so that she was directly above her enemy, she opened her arms and kept her palms face down, her eyes glowing white as she focused on each target.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zynthos!" she yelled.

Black energy encased the three hydrants and, with a savage pull of her mind, she shattered the metal casings. Her dark power spilled into the water and she guided the pounding streams into the body of the abomination beneath her. Plasmus screeched as he was pummeled with unceasing water, the stinging pressure of the element helping to reduce his size, while the freezing temperature of the day made it cold enough to hinder his mobility.

"Good, Raven! Keep him steady!" Robin yelled.

Reaching into his belt, he produced three more freezing discs, and with a swift arc of his arm, he sent them flying into the screaming Plasmus. When the gadgets made contact with the water, ice followed the streams to completely encase the villian, his body caught in a pose of agony and anger. Knowing that the effect would not last long, Raven closed her eyes and focused all of her power inside of glistening ice, pushing forward until she found the center of pulsing, fetid symbiote that thrived off of the human host.

Her throat threatened to close as her mind became over run with the decayed stench and foul mental waves that had weaved into the brain of the human lost within. Gritting her teeth, and forcing herself past the revolting sensory that the creature was made of, she locked onto the physical tie between symbiote and man. Raven directed all of her power on that one spot, the pressure of her mind, soul, and energy building rapidly as her body curled into itself, her legs pressing against her chest as her arms clamped to her sides.

With a viscouse release of breath, her body uncurled itself, and she let go. There was a deep groaning from within the ice and the surface began to crack as blackness blocked out the image of Plasmus. The other Titans ducked behind any cover they could find as dark power broke through the frozen water, and shards of ice began to fly in every direction. Steaming, gel like fluid sprayed forth, leaving a slumbering man behind, his thin body shuddering in the cold.

"Dude, that was awesome!" Beastboy yelled.

Raven descended to the ground, slightly lightheaded after the immense power that she had had to produce in order to subdue her oponent. Starfire glided toward her, her face large with a joyful smile as she wrapped her arms around her. Raven felt her air supply cut off in the unearthly strength that was one of Starfire's hugs, and she had to pat on her friends back to get her to release her.

"That was most impressive!" she said.

Cyborg placed a large hand on her head, which was flecked with clumps of sludge, and ruffled her hair. Raven's brow twitched in irritation as she realized that he was effectively rubbing the vile substance further into her roots.

"That's our girl! Way to go, Rae!" he commended.

Robin nodded at her and turned to the comostose man that lay beneath the dripping aftermath of his conciousness.

"Good work, Titans. Let's secure Plasmus before he wakes up again." He said.

Raven felt her lips attempt to tug into a frown but she kept her face stoic, not allowing herself to seem disturbed by her leaders lack of regard for her work. She had never been one to bask in anything that she had done, good or otherwise, so she was not disappointed. What bothered her was the fact that he still had not directly spoken to her since their confrontation in the kitchen days before. Only during a fight did he communicate to her, and only if it was necessary.

"Dude, what crawled up his tail hole?" Beastboy grumbled.

Cyborg patted Raven's shoulder reassuringly as they began to walk toward Robin, who was using his communicator to contact the Jump City Police.

"Please Beastboy, tails have holes?" Starfire asked.

Beastboy's cheeks blushed slightly as he scratched the back of his head, his mouth frowning as he looked to Cyborg to help him explain. The larger Titan ran a hand over his face as he thought of a way to explain to the naive Tameranian the meaning behind the phrase.

Raven kept quiet, her thoughts, no longer having anything to focus on, were beginning to wander. She was troubled by Robin's attitute towards her, and she was saddened by the sudden lack of camaraderie between them, but it began to fade beneath the distant memory of a kiss in the darkness of her room. Heat crept up her cheeks and she shook her head, not pleased with the traiterous images that had been sneaking into her mind.

Feeling a dull ache forming in her head, Raven broke away from her three friends, and their conversation that explained the phrase of animal apendages and oraphaces. She walked toward a nearby alley and leaned against the cool brick wall of the opening. Her breath fogged the air in front of her and she watched as a large, black, containment truck pulled up to the waiting Titans. Robin spoke to the officers that arrived in seperate cars, and the human host was hoisted from the ground and toward a transportation chamber that would keep him asleep.

Turning her head from the clean up on the street, Raven rested her throbbing head against the alley wall, her breathing quiet and controlled as she allowed the solitude of the moment to help regain the balance that her surge of power had altered. As she relaxed into her thoughts, her mind betrayed her by conjuring up the images that she had tried to push away.

Her body trembled as she remembered the strength of a body pushing against hers and the demanding press of lips against her own. Her fingers clenched into fists and she willed the thouhts away, despite the quickening of her heart and her desire to remember his taste. A brief instance of amusement and appreciation pushed against her empathy and her eyes shot open.

Red-X stood across from her, leaning on the opposite wall, his arms crossed over his chest and his head tilted to the side. Raven's eyes widened as her mouth opened in astonishment and she felt a sudden, wrenching shock in her abdomin. One of his brows arched at her as she heard his smirk beneath the skull mask.

"Yo, Raven! We're heading back to the tower!" Cyborg called.

Raven felt her gut tighten as she looked down the street to her team mates. Beastboy was climbing into the passenger seat of the T-Car beside Cyborg, while Starfire pulled at a large wad of sludge that stuck to her hair. Robin was straddling the now functioning R-Cycle, his hands fastening the helmet over his head.

Looking quicky back to where Red-X had been standing, she found nothing but the dull red of a brick wall. Her breath came from her lips in a relieved sigh, but she was annoyed at the hollow, disappointed feeling in her chest. Raven frowned as she stepped away from the wall and looked toward her waiting team. Her eyes were met by Robins, his face tinted green from the visor of his helmet. She searched his features, looking for any indication that he had seen the thief standing only feet across from her. His look betrayed nothing and she pulled her hood over her face, attempting to hide the heat that covered her cheeks and neck.

When she opened the back door of the T-Car, she watched as Starfire asked Robin if she could sit behind him on the way back to the tower. Raven did not need to hear his words to know the answer, and watched as the girl climbed onto the seat, her arms wrapping snuggly around his waist. There was an immense feeling of appreciation and excitement from him at his girlfriends close proximity as he revved the bikes engine, and her empathy could pick up on nothing that would indicate whether he had seen anything or not.

"I've got first dibs on the shower!" Beastboy said.

"No way, Grass Stain! I've got goo in my parts!" Cyborg retorted.

"Dude, its not my fault you only put three showers in the tower!" yelled Beastboy.

Raven barely listened to the argument growing in the front seat. Instead, she looked out of the window at the alley she had previously stood. As they pulled away, she felt her breath catch in her chest as she caught sight of Red-X once again at the entrance to the alley, almost blending in with the shadows of the overcast day and late afternoon, winking at her before he was no longer in her line of sight.

*.*.*

Inside of the Titans Tower, most of the team took refuge in the main room. Each had gotten a shower, scrubbing away the remnants of their fight with Plasmus, and were now indulging in downtime. Cyborg and Beastboy sat beside eachother on the couch, each hunched over and leaning towards the massive screen of the television. Their thumbs raced over buttons of GameStation controllers, and Beastboy's tongue was sticking out from his mouth as he concentrated at the game they played. Starfire was humming happily to herself, her hair twisted up into a thick towel as she pet Silkie and thumbed through her recipe book. Raven was sitting on one of the stools at the counter, a book opened in front of her, but she could not remember its title, nor what her eyes had been skimming for the past twenty minutes.

She was having trouble concentrating, her body and mind betraying her at the image of Red-X being so close. Her lips were pursed tightly and her brows furrowed in irritation. The feelings that the thief were stirring in her were unwelcome, and a familiar road that she was not willing to tread again. She was mentally berating herself for indulging her mischevous side, for allowing her self to partake in his game. That was all it was to him, a petty game, and she was done playing.

Raven angrily snapped her book closed, her eyes glaring at the cover as she fumed inwardly at her actions only nights before. When they had been on the rooftop in the city, she had felt very compelled to go along with him, to even go so far as to push him further. When he had come to her, and approached her in her own room, there had been a slight hesitance, but there was a part of her that thrilled in the taboo of the moment and his presence. Now, she only felt the bitter aftermath, and she was not pleased, despite however her body was reacting.

"Friend Raven, is everything alright?"

The gentle questioning of Starfire made Raven stir from her thoughts. She looked into the concerned expression of her friend and feigned a brief smile. The alien was pure in ways that Raven was not, nor could ever be. Where Starfire was innocent and good, Raven felt that she herself would forever walk the edge of her demonic line, only kept from crossing because of her upbringing on Azarath and her own choices.

"I'll be fine, Star. Don't worry." She replied.

Starfire's look of concern only deepened and she tilted her head to the side, the towel on her head leaning heavily and threatening to unfold.

"You are troubled. Is there something you wish to talk about?" she inquired.

Raven shook her head and stood up, one hand tucking a strand of damp hair behind her ear.

"I think I need to meditate." She said.

Starfire frowned slightly, something that was rare for her, and she stood as well.

"Perhaps I will join you. It has been some time since we meditated together." She said.

Raven knew that her friend was only trying to offer companionship, but at the moment, she wanted to be alone.

"Hey Star, where did Robin run off to?" Cyborg asked.

The two girl looked to the couch where Cyborg still sat, but was turned to look at them. Beastboy was grumbling under his breath and staring at the television screen, where the words, 'Winner: Cyborg', were flashing.

"I believe he said he would be doing the 'analyzing' of the disc that we retrieved from Red-X" she answered.

The security on the disc had turned out to be far more complex than Robin had estimated, and he had had to turn to Cyborg for help. After making some modifications and installations to his computer, Cyborg had created a program that would work constantly at decoding the disc.

"Last I checked, the computer was half way through cracking the security programs. It should only be a matter of time." Cyborg said.

Starfire smiled at that bit of information as she absentmindedly stroked a purring Silkie.

"That would be most helpful. I am sure Robin will feel much better once he knows what is on the device." She said.

Raven's shoulders slumped and she looked to the door, wanting to retreat somewhere quiet and mull her troubled thoughts over alone.

"Why don't you take him some of that stuff you made last night. I don't think the guy has eaten since this morning." Cyborg suggested.

Beastboy visibly shuddered at the mention of the blue and pink food that had been their dinner the night before. Raven inwardly grimaced at the memory of the wiggling substance that had been placed before her, and she had been grateful that she was still fasting and could produce a viable excuse for not eating.

"That is a most wonderful idea!" Starfire said.

As the Tameranian began pulling out containers that held the 'food' that she had made, Raven sent a grateful look to Cyborg. He smiled at her and made a small motion of his hand, silently urging her to leave before Starfire remembered about the meditation session.

*.*.*

Raven sat on one of the large rocks that boardered the island of the Titans Tower. The ocean was almost as grey as the sky, and the wind was cold with the coming of winter. Despite the temperature, Raven felt no discomfort. She had always taken any climate in stride, not feeling the need to seek out more comfortable conditions in order to function. Even when the team had traveled to the arctic to fight off different members of the Brotherhood of Evil, she had only donned pants and a heavier cloak, mostly for the sake of not drawing attention to herself as Starfire did.

Now she sat outside, her legs bare and her cloak hanging behind her shoulders as she watched the waves of the tide slap against the lower rocks. She had long since tugged her hood from her head, enjoying the breeze that blew through her damp hair. With the sky being as grey as it was, there were no brilliant colors to signal the sunset, only the slowly growing darkness as night set in. Raven's eyes narrowed and she sighed.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

A synthesized chuckle came from behind her, but she did not bother to turn around. Her acute empathy had picked up on his signiture, recognising it immedietely and not detecting any threat. There was amusement coming from him and Raven clenched her teeth at his silence. She could feel him coming closer to her and her back went tense in anticipation.

"Don't." She warned.

Her eyes kept steady on the water, but her hands started to grip the rock that she sat on and she her heart was pounding in her chest.

"What's the matter, Cutie? Didn't you miss me?" he teased.

Against Raven's wishes, a tremor went down her limbs at the sound of his voice. She no longer found herself thinking that it resembled Robins. Red-X's confidence and attitude had somehow turned it into something that was completely his, and she hated that she enjoyed it.

"There was nothing to miss." She retorted.

She could feel his presence behind her, and even thought they were outside, she felt like the atmosphere was closing in around them. Her back tingled and she fought the urge to look over her shoulder at him.

"Don't kid yourself, Sweets. You know you liked it." He said.

Raven suddenly remembered the feel of his mouth on hers and heat filled her face. Her powers flared out and a nearby rock broke in two. His amusement pushed against her empathy and she could almost feel the smirk he made. Anger got the best of her and she lept to her feet and faced him, not prepared for how close he had really come. Her face was only a foot from his skull mask and she lurched back to avoid colliding with him. Her balance was thrown off by the momentum of her movements and the uneven surface of the rock, but before she had a chance to right herself, one of his arms shot out and snaked behind her, his gloved hand resting on the swell of her hip as he pulled her to him.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she looked at the white lenses of his mask, one of his brows arched as he moved his face closer to hers, the warmth of his body penetrating through her suit as he gave her waist a small squeeze.

"You're blushing, Sunshine." He said.

Arrogence and confidence was all around him, and she felt a the sharp pull of something else, something she could not identify and was not sure that she wanted to. Raven's stomach did a famaliar flip and she frowned, her eyes narrowing as she put her hands against his shoulders.

"You shouldn't be here." She said.

Red-X narrowed his eyes at her, but he made no move to let her go, much to her thrill and annoyance.

"Wouldn't be the first time." He replied.

Raven sighed and rolled her eyes, the action causing her to look at the tower that loomed above them. The realization of her current position struck her and she wondered how easily it was for someone inside to see them as they were. Red-X standing on the shore of his enemy's home, his arm around a known Titan, and she not having made any move to escape him.


	10. Chapter 10

Raven stared up at the looming structure of Titans Tower, its massive height looking unusually ominous against the gray sky. Where the 'T' shaped building had always been inviting to her, a place she fondly called 'home', now it seemed like a heavy reminder of her duty as a Titan, and the fact that she was currently breaking it. Taking in a deep, calming breath, she lowered her eyes from the tower, and onto the 'x' marred skull mask only inches from her face. Red-X looked back at her, eyes unseen behind the white lenses, but she could feel his amusement as it flowed from him and over her, his right arm wrapped around her lower waist, keeping her in such close proximity that her empathy could only center on him.

Despite the tightness in her chest, Raven pushed against his shoulders and stepped away, breaking the heat that had built between their pressed bodies, and let her arms fall back into the folds of her cloak.

"What do you want?" she asked.

Red-X held his arms out to the sides, palms facing out as he smirked.

"Who says I want anything?" He replied.

Raven narrowed her eyes at him, her suspicion about his intentions only growing at the casual words.

"Your coming to the tower says it for you." She said.

Red-X chuckled at her, the synthesized sound seeming very out of place amongst the gentle movements of the ocean around them.

"What can I say? The place has its appeals." He said.

Raven glared at him, her irritation building because of his arrogence. The thief was the definition of confidence, and he showed no fear about being on his enemies doorstep. Deciding that it would be better to not motivate him further, she levitated off of the rocks and began to glide towards the tower.

"What's your rush, Sunshine?" he asked.

Looking over her shoulder, Raven narrowed her eyes at him, her voice not hiding her annoyance as she spoke.

"You're a fool if you think I'm going to keep playing your games." She said.

Raven continued toward the tower, gliding over the rocks until she came to the narrow path that led further up the island and to the massive double doors leading inside. Just as she touched down, a blur of black and grey fell in front of her, and she was once again face to face with the thief. He narrowed his eyes at her and had crossed his arms over his chest. Because of the slight incline of the path, and his own height, he seemed so much taller than her, and she did not doubt that his attitude helped to make him seem intimidating to anyone that he came up against. Fortunatley for Raven, she did not intimidate easily.

"You're playing with fire, Red-X." She said, her eyes glaring into his, refusing to back down.

He leaned forward slightly, and she could feel the challenging aura he was exuding. It reminded her of her own competitive nature, a side of themselves that they both had in common, neither willing to easily give in.

"Maybe I like the thrill." He said.

Against her will, a shock went from her chest down to her groin, his words touching that side of her that had revvled in taking the R-Cycle. One of her brows raised and she could not supress the smirk that came forth.

"That doesn't mean you can handle it." She said.

Red-X's eyes widened at her statement, and she could feel a sort of appreciation coming from him before he chuckled.

"Looks like you're still in the game." He said.

Raven frowned, her fingers curling into fists as she took a step closer to him, her eyes challenging him as much as he was her.

"Your poorly mistaken." She retorted.

Red-X smirked at her, his cocky demeanor rolling off of him and overwhelming her empathy. He leaned down, his mask dangerously close to her face, eyes never breaking from hers. Clenching her teeth, Raven glared back at him defiantly.

"If you were really done, Toots, you'd be in the tower by now."

*.*.*

"Alright, y'all! Who's ready for pizza night?" Cyborg called.

Raven glanced away from the wall sized window of the main room. Cyborg walked through the double doors with six boxes of pizza, two smaller boxes with buffallo wings, and three two litres of soda balanced in his arms. He smiled happily as he placed the food on the counter and hurridly began to retrieve plates and napkins from the cabinets. Beastboy'face slowly appeared from behind the counter, his eyes assesing the boxes as one hand slowly tipped open a cardboard lid. Sniffing cautiously at the steam that wafted out, he narrowed his eyes a moment before bounding away from the counter and waving his arms around him wildly.

"Dude! That's a meat lovers supreme! What the hell are you trying to do to me? Do you _know _how many animals are on that thing?" he yelled.

Cyborg strolled over to the box and compeletely opened the lid, his face lowering into the steam as he inhaled deeply.

"Enough to make it tasty!" he said.

Beastboy clutched his hands into his hair and stared in horror as Cyborg took a large bite from a a slice of pizza. His jaw dropped as the mechanical man finished off the piece in two bites. Licking his fingers of grease, Cyborg glanced to the green changeling.

"Chill, BB. I got you that nasty vegan-tofu thing you like so much." He muttered.

Raven turned away from the sight of a green monkey hopping on the counter and swiftly pulling out and opening each box. There was a slam, some shuffling, and a primape alarm call behind her before Cyborg began yelling.

"You got hair all over my pizza! That's it, Lima Bean, you asked for it!"

More ruckus could be heard behind her, but Raven kept staring out of the window, effectively tuning out the two quarreling Titans. Her thoughts were still down on the rocks, where she had left Red-X hours ago. His words kept circling through her head and she mulled them over, not wanting to let him get to her again, but knowing that she was failing.

_"If you were really done, Toots, you'd be in the tower by now."_

That one sentence had struck her deep and she had not been able to respond to him. The thief had chuckled at her and she realized that what he said was true. In a rush of panic, Raven had teleported away from him and into the main room, where she still lingered. Part of her had expected him to follow her, but he had never been one to easily predict. She spent the rest of the day in the main room, glancing out the window from time to time, staying mostly silent.

"Yo, Raven! Pizza!" Cyborg called.

Sighing, Raven left the window and went to the counter, her eyes noting the wreckage of the countertop. One pizza lay face down on the floor and green tufts of hair were scattered everywhere. Cyborg had a smug look on his face as he piled a plate with several slices of pizza and a large helping of wings.

"Come on, Tin Man, let me out!" Beastboy yelled.

Raven glanced around the room for the green changeling but did not find him. She raised a brow at Cyborg and watched as a triumphant grin spread across his face. He reached behind the counter and raised his arm high in the air. A struggling Beastboy was locked inside of a larger dog carrier, his hands clutching the cage door. Raven could not stop her smirk as she slid onto one of the stools beside the counter.

"Not bad." She said.

Cyborg grinned as he peered into the cage, his hand gently shaking it and rattling the changling stuck inside.

"He will be, once I get him neutered." Cyborg threatened.

Beastboy yelped inside of the carrier.

"Dude, not cool. Come on, I won't get hair on you murder pizza again! Promise!" he said.

Cyborg placed the cage on the countertop and put the box with his vegan and tofu pizza in front of him. He opened the lid and waved the steam into the face of Beastboy, who opened his mouth and drooled, eyes watering at the sight. After a few minutes of only being able to stare at his favorite toppings, Beastboy glanced up at Cyborg and Raven, before shifting into a small puppy. He pranced a little in the cage, his short tail wagging as he whimpered up at the mechanical man.

"Alright, man, but next time, I'm taking you to the snip clinic." Cyborg said.

He opened the cage door and the small puppy clamored out, yipping a few times before shifting back into his normal form. The cage fell off the counter and Beastboy clutched the box in his hands, his tongue hanging from his mouth as he reached for a slice.

Raven lost interest again and stared at the marble countertop, her hands resting on the cool surface as she kept to her own thoughts.

_"Maybe I like the thrill."_

Those words repeated themselves in her mind, vexing her, and she frowned slightly. A red plate was set in front of her, with a large slice of cheese pizza. She blinked at the food for a minute, her mind not registering right away how it had got there. Shaking her head, Raven pushed the plate aside, thoughts too troubled for her to feel hungry.

"You still fasting?"

Raven, startled, looked up from the counter and into Cyborgs face. He sat opposite of her, his own meal barely touched, and his arms crossed over his chest. He frowned at her silence and leaned forward, his human eye narrowing as he silently scolded her. She shrugged at him, turning her eyes back toward the windows but was met with an almost gray looking slice of vegan pizza.

"Come on Rae, you know you want to! You might actually like it!" Beastboy said.

Grimacing at the oddly colored slice, Raven narrowed her eyes.

_"Maybe I like the thrill."_

Red-X's words echoed through her mind again and Raven stiffened, her hands slowly curling into fists. Her eyes stared at the food in front of her, but did not see it. She was lost in thought, turning over his words, studying them as she thouht on everything that had happened the past few weeks.

"Uhm, Raven?" Beastboy said, waving a hand in front of her face.

Cyborg reached across the table and gently shook her wrist, drawing her from her thoughts. Raven looked at him, her face stoic, but he knew better. With a gentle squeeze he smiled at her before leaning back in his seat and casually taking a slice of his meatlovers supreme.

"Robin said that the R-Cycle still doesn't feel right since the repairs. I've got a few modifications to make on the T-Car tonight. Mind taking the bike out for me to see what he's talking about?" Cyborg asked.

Raven stared at him for a minute, her face unreadable as she processed what he had just asked of her. She smiled at him, her expression almost mischevious as she disappeared from their sight into a black shadow. Cyborg chuckled before taking another bite of his pizza.

"Not fair! Why can't I ever ride the R-Cycle?" Beastboy cried.

The doors to the main room opened as Robin and Starfire entered. Both were a little flushed and Cyborg noticed the Tameranians lips were pinker than usual.

"Hey, pizza!" Robin said.

Starfire smiled happily down at the food before retrieving the mustard from the fridge.

"What a glorious suprise!" she said.

Beastboy glared at Cyborg as Robin took the stool next to him, his hands grabbing the slice that had been meant for Raven. Just as he was about to speak, Starfire interrupted him, making the changling grow red with annoyance.

"Where is friend Raven?" she asked.

Cyborg glanced at Robin, his eyes picking up on the tension in the younger boys shoulders at her mention. Starfire held the mustard covered slice of pinapple and olive pizza, her attention no longer on her dinner, but remembering her friends troubled expressions from earlier that day.

"Don't worry, Star. She's fine." Cyborg said.

Robin took a sip from a cup of Root Beer, his free hand still holding the half eaten slice of pizza.

"Yeah she's fine. She gets to ride the R-Cycle." Beastboy grumbled.

Robin suddenly choked on his drink, his breath siezing in his chest as he dropped his cup. Root Beer sprayed from his nose, effectively soaking Cyborgs buffallo wings and making Beastboy and Starfire squeel in fright as they pulled their plates away from the mess. After another round of painful coughs and shuddering breaths, Robin looked up, his face bright red, soda dribbling from his nose and over his lips.

"Raven's _what_?" he choked out.

*.*.*

It was dusk in the city of Jump, but the slate gray sky had prevented any vibrant colors to signal the setting sun. Instead, the shadows just grew larger as the world went darker, and Raven exalted in it. The happenings of the city were reduced to blurs of color and lights that sped past her, becoming nothing more than trivial images that were easily forgotten. Her thoughts were focused on the machine beneath her, and the road ahead. Her leather clad thighs gripped the bike as she veered to the right to avoid a slower moving one, the rider's eyes widening through the clear visor of his helmet.

Raven smirked behind her own black helmet, the heel of her boot kicking the bike up a gear as she pushed the R-Cycle faster. Freezing wind pelted her body but she did not care, her only worry being the traffic in her way. She was beyond gratefull to Cyborg for telling her to take out the bike, both of them knowing that there was not anything wrong with it. After she had confessed to him in the garage about her frequent outings with Robin's bike, he had only laughed.

"I had a feeling when you would help me in the garage, but I knew for sure when I saw you take off after X. You're almost as good as Robin." Cyborg had said.

Frowning behind her helmet, Raven accelerated the bike and used her powers to push it off of the ground, making herself jump over pedestrians that jaywalked across the street. The frightened shriek of a young woman briefly caught her ears before she turned at the intersection and raced down the road, staying centered on the double yellow lines. As she sped by cars on both sides of her, she could not help the mischevious chuckle that rumbled through her chest. Raven felt better than she had in weeks, and the her 'Big Brothers' words felt like a challenge. 'Almost as good as Robin.'

Well, she would have to test his theory.

Swerving off of the road and down a large alley, she felt a shiver go down her spine. Her competitive nature was fully awake and mixing with her darker impulses. The past few weeks had been hell on her mind, body, and soul. Now, with a gentle push from Cyborg, she was releasing the pent up tension that had been building.

Raven broke free of the alley and opened a portal just before she collided with a rusted car, the driver never noticing the bike that disappeared into swirling darkness just next to his passenger side door. Her wormhole felt infinantly expansive as she sailed the bike through the void, the sound of its engine echoing through time and space. Narrowing her eyes she ripped open another opening and went flying through, the heavy tires making contact with the smooth surface of a wide footpath.

She had intentionally brought herself to the large park that was located in the center of Jump City. A place for families and good natured fun by day, but was known for more risky antics at night. Her eyes glared past the tinted visor of her helmet until she spotted three young men, each straddling a different bike. Raven braked the R-Cycle and squeeled to a stop a few yards away from them. They all looked up and stared at her.

Raven touched her boots to the path, balancing the bike as she tilted her head to the side at them. One of the men's eyes drifted over her body, his smile increasing as he noted the shapely curves beneath the tight leather of her pants, the dip of her waist leading up to the swell of her breasts. Narrowing her eyes, Raven revved the engine of the R-Cycle, signaling her challenge to other bikers. She smirked at their widened eyes and she sat back on the bike. Kicking into gear, she sped forward and popped into a wheelie just as she past them, her empathy picking up on shock and adrenaline rushes as they peeled off after her.

*.*.*

The thrill of competition and the danger of a four man race filled Raven's veins as she manuvered the R-Cycle through the winding path of the park. The shrill screams of speeding bikes filled the air, a trumpeting warning to any pedestrians that may have lingered on the foot path. There had been one elderly man, early on in the race, that had been in their way but Raven had easily used her powers to move him into the grass and away from danger. She managed to stay in the lead, her boredom with the three racers behind her growing as she lengthened the gap.

Raven scolded her self mentally, knowing that no civillian bike could keep up with the R-Cycle. A small creek came into view, along with the stone bridge that crossed it, and pushing with her powers, jumped the bike onto oen of the wide rails. With a flex of her wrist, she sped the bike forward and went sailing into the air, the cold wind pushing against the material of her suit as she descended back to the path. Grinning triumphantly, Raven felt the discouraged thoughts of the three that slowed behind her. She hit her brakes and halted, her bike swung to the side as she looked back at them.

They were all sitting on their bikes, shoulders slumped as they switched off the machines. They knew that they had no chance to win against the girl on the red and green R-Cycle, and decided they wanted to keep their dignities intact. Feeling dissappointed, Raven was about to ride off when a thundering sound came from behind the three men. Her heart pounded in her chest as a rush of black and gray caused the men to jump off their rides and into the grass.

The familiar rush of amusement and confidence slammed against her aura as Red-X flew past her, his hand giving her his two finger salute. Raven felt a brief hesitance, knowing what her following him could lead to, but she threw her caution to the wind. She finally had the challenge she wanted.

Peeling away from the dazed men, Raven accelerated after the thief, her mouth set into smirk. Leaning down over the bike she caught up to him, her empathy picking up on a quick pulse from him as he looked to her. Both of them narrowed their eyes at the other, Raven's remaining unseen behind the black visor of her helmet.

"Meet you at the other end of the park, Sunshine." He yelled.

Red-X pushed his bike forward and she could feel his adrenaline spike. Gritting her teeth, Raven pressed the bike faster, her eyes locked on the thief. As she chased after him, she could feel a tug in her loins and the rapid beating of her heart. Part of her knew that she should not be going along with him, that she had a duty as a Titan, to her friends and the city, but at that moment she was done with putting everything else before herself.

*.*.*

The orange glow of a lamp light shone above the entrance to the park. The footpath covered four miles, swerving and twisting throughout the park before returning back to the cedar grove at the east side entrance. The thundering sound of two motarcycles ripped through the tranquility of the night before the screams of their brakes signaled the end of a race. There were a few moments of rumbling from both engines before they were cut off into silence, leaving a heavy atmosphere between the riders.

Raven leaned back in her seat, her arms crossed over her chest as she glanced to the thief at her left. Once again, their race had been a tie, and they assesed eachother in quiet before slowly dismounting their bikes. Red-X narrowed his eyes at her, his ever present amusement exuding from him in torrents.

"Still playing, Cutie?" he asked.

Raven pulled her helmet from her head, the frigid air of late fall being a relief to her heated scalp. She did not respond to him, her silence only further enhancing the tension between them. Her face was neutral, her features giving him no clue as to what she was thinking or feeling. Red-X narrowed his eyes, and Raven could feel the caution slowly forming inside of him. He was getting suspicious.

Red-X carefully approached her, his arms at his sides as he rounded the R-Cycle, the muscles in his shoulders taught. He did not speak, neither did he move his gaze from her. Raven knew he was listening, waiting to hear any indication that the other Titans were waiting in ambush. She chuckled at his warriness, and he haulted, his hand going for the button on his belt. With a rush of power, Raven grabbed him in black energy and sent him flying through the cedar grove. She could hear his muffled curse as he collided with the large bark of a tree. Flying towards him, she watched as his eyes widened. Red-X thrust his palm forward, sending an adhesive 'x' in her direction.

Raven teleported through the attack and came back right in front of him, her power encasing around him and immobilizing his movements. He struggled as he watched her hover above the grass, his eyes darting over the park as he searched for the other Titans. She could feel his frustration building, but there was something else, something calm and collected.

"They're not coming." She said.

Red-X ceased his struggles and watched her, the white lenses of his eyes boring into her, trying to find a break in her defenses. Raven released her hold on him but she kept her attention on his hands, not trusting him to attack or attempt to flee. One of his brows raised and he tilted his head to the side, amusement stirring beneath the suspicion within him.

"Is that so?" he asked.

Raven narrowed her own eyes at him. Her empathy was almost drowning beneath the heavy atmosphere between them. Anger, suspicion, attraction, intrigue. All of these were building and she felt the familiar jolt through her abdomen. She was so preoccupied with the plethora of emotions stirring between them that she did not expect what happened next. Red-X swiftly shot his arm out and grabbed one of her arms and yanked her against his chest. Raven's breath caught in her throat as she felt her body become pressed against the hard strength of his torso. Heat gathered in her groin and a shock went down her spine.

Red-X smirked at her, their eyes level because of her former hovering, but his arms were back at his sides. He was testing her, seeing what she would do next. Raven could feel her hesitence as she drifted back a few inches, her mind at war with itself as she debated what to do. It would be so simple, she could teleport him back into the confines of the tower, right into the main room. The other Titans would be on him in a moment, and the fissure between all of them would be mended, including Robin.

Despite the relief that one action would bring, Raven felt herself letting it go. All of her life she had done 'the right thing'. She had sacrificed so much of herself for the welfare of the lives around her. In doing so she had missed out on 'living'. There was one last moment of doubt inside of her, an old scar that reminded her of what the consequences could mean, but she chose to cast it aside. Smirking, Raven closed the gap she had made between them, one hand resting against the rough bark of the tree behind him. His eyes widened for a moment, the shock she felt through him being both mental and physical, before he placed a hand on her hip.

"You're playing with fire, Sunshine." He said.

Raven considered his words, knowing that she would be burned one way or the other, but not wanting to care.

"Maybe I like the thrill." She said.

Red-X chuckled, his hand going up to the line of his cloak that kept his mask secure. A sharp pang of anticipation burned its way from her belly to her loins and she smirked at him, challenging him.

"Let's see if you can handle it." He replied.


	11. Chapter 11

A single sound can invoke a plethora of emotions in a person. Depending upon the situation, it can bring forth fear, dread, anger, sadness. Even the tiniest of noises can tap into the animilistic instincs of fight or flight, kill or be killed. It can be a warning or a promise, but in the end, it is only what it is percieved to be, what the individual hearing makes of it.

_Click._

That small, almost inaudible sound was the only thing that Raven heard amongst the cedar grove in Jump Central Park. Despite the surrounding city and it's inevitable noise, the calls of night fowl amongst the trees, and the occasional wailing of a police car, that small 'click' was almost deafining. With that seemingly insignificant sound, came a physical rush that she had not anticipated. Her whole body tightened and a heated shock rippled down her torso and gathered in her loins.

Raven smirked at the skull mask just inches away from her face, her lips turning up as her eyes narrowed, the expression one of michief and challenge. A heavy hand that rested on her hip tightened its hold, making her spine tremble. Red-X raised one of his brows at her, his free hand having unfastened the device at his throat, loosening his cloak and removing the barrier between his fingers and the hem of his mask. The thief chuckled at her, his face leaning closer to hers as the hand on her hip drew her closer into him. The heat of their bodies melded together, making the tension between the two expand as their physical disntance closed.

Red-X barely brushed the material of his mask against her lips, the infentisimal contact making the Titan shudder against him. The white lenses of his eyes narrowed and Ravens' empathy caught the confidence and excitement coming off of him. He slowly moved the hand that rested on her hip upwards, his palm trailing the dip of her waist, ascending the side of her ribs before detouring back and following the path of her spine to the base of her neck. Her skin felt ignited where he touched her, but her features only stayed challenging. This was a game of reactions, and she would not fall so soon.

Leather pants creaked with the movement of her leg as she shifted her right knee forward, barely grazing the outside of his own leg. Her hand, that rested on the bark of the tree behind him, slowly left its place. Her fingers lightly brushing the material that covered the tensed muscles of his shoulders. His fingers tightened against the back of her neck as her palm barely skimmed down the broad expanse of his chest before stopping on the path of his abdomin, her fingers splayed so she could feel his breathing and the definition of his muscled stomach. The air around them seemed to crackle with energy and Raven felt a thrill sieze her chest when his other hand barely raised the bottom of his mask, exposing the smallest line of skin.

Red-X smirked as the hand at the back of her neck went into her hair, his fingers tightening into a fist and holding tight. The hand that had been toying with his mask disappeared between their bodies, and before Raven could react, she felt like she was being pulled through a vacuum. Blurs of gray and black swept across her eyes and suddenly her back made contact with the rough bark of a tree. Her instinct was to struggle at the unfamiliar teleportation and she lifted her left arm, black energy crackling at her fingers.

"Not this time, Toots." Red-X said.

There was a shadowed movement in front of her and the fist in her hair tightened before she felt the familiar press of bare lips crushing against her own. Raven's whole body went tense and she felt the smallest brush of suspicion from the thief. His free hand captured her left wrist and pinned it to the side of the tree as he closed the gap between them. Raven felt her back arch as the heat of his body pressed completely to hers, crushing her against the bark. His mouth parted slightly and she felt the trace of his tongue against her lip. A sharp, almost painful pull in her loins made her open to him and the taste of dark mocha filled her mouth.

A victorious rush enveloped her empathy and Ravens' competitive side fueled her own actions. Her hand that had become pinned between their abdomons, slowly shifted downward, her nails lightly scratching at the material of his suit. She flicked her own tongue into his mouth, delving into the hot entrance, enticng him before retreating back, her lips closing but not leaving his. As her fingers gently clawed lower, Red-X moved his hips back, allowing her hand more room to continue its movement as he forced her mouth back open with his tongue, demanding more. As her finger tips barely skimmed the edge of his belt, Red-X growled into her mouth, and Raven felt her own victory.

The thief tightened his hold in her hair, tilting her face further up as he nipped her bottom lip, making her groan. Red-X smirked against her mouth and Raven felt the need to retaliate. The heel of her palm pressed momentarily against his belt as her fingers dug into his hip. He tensed against her, thinking she would continue further, but her hand instead traveled up his side until she reached the top of his ribs. Her nails pressed in slightly and she seductively scratched down his side, making him shudder against her.

Momentary annoyance came from the thief before he smirked as well. Bending one of his knees, he barely pushed against her left leg, and before she could react, Red-X thrust his hip forward and pressed flush against her. Raven's eyes shot open at the feel of the hard bulge pressed against her pelvis, and a gasp escaped her mouth as she felt his deep growl against her lips.

"Playing with fire, remember?" he said, his voice low, but just as arrogent as the synthesized one she had grown used to.

The sharp, teasing pleasure that had pinpointed in her core had taken Raven by suprise, and there had been the distant snap as her powers broke a random limb somewhere in the grove. Despite the powerful sensations she felt, she chuckled before baring her teeth.

"Speak for yourself." She replied.

Raven arched her back against him, her hips pushing into and down against his pelvis. Red-X's breath caught and his whole body stilled. Desire built inside of her and she could feel his own lust pouring from him but she caught something else. Something that made her stiffen under his hold. The thief noticed the sudden change in her, suspicion and irritation dousing the heated emotions that had been building, but he kept his grip on her. Closing her eyes, Raven focused on that small trace, her senses growing and expanding until she caught it. There was a glimpse of the color orange in her mind, coupled with joy and strength.

"I have to go." Raven said, openeing her eyes.

The darkness of the cedar grove kept him shadowed to her gaze, but she could faintly see the mask had only been raised enough to free his mouth and nose, though the details of those features were obscured by the lack of light. Raven did not need to see his face to know how annoyed he was by the interruption, her empathy was overtaken by it, but she could feel her own irritation as well. She had been enjoying herself, relishing the rush that had spawned from giving into what 'she' wanted. Now she was being called back to reality and the tower, and if she did not act soon, she would be brought back

Frowning, Raven pushed against him with her hand, trying to release herself from his dominating hold, and found that she was not entirely eager to do so. The hand that been fisted in her hair released its hold and shot down to hers, grabbing her wrist and pinning it above her head against the tree. His other hand, that had been holding her left arm against the tree the entire time, pulled it up and manuvered both her wrists in one grasp. Raven's lower body clenched achingly as he set his, now free, hand against her ribs, his thumb barely brushing the swell of her breast.

"Come on, Sweets. Things were just getting good." He said.

Raven could feel his arrogence once more, but beneath it, just prowling the surface was his desire. He was still in the game, assessing her next reaction, wondering if she would give into him completely. Narrowing her eyes, she reached out with her powers. Red-X tightened his hold on her wrists as cold energy touched his face and pulled his mask down, covering his mouth before the device at his neck clicked back into place.

"Not this time, X." She said, smirking into the narrowed eyed glare of his mask.

Not allowing him any time react, Ravens powers pushed him off of her and into a waiting portal. Her mind kept a lock on him, feeling the emotions that went through him as she teleported him to the opposite side of the park. Irritation, anger, disappointment, and oddly enough, amusement. Raven phased herself to the R-Cycle, yanking the black helmet over head as her eyes noted the blinking yellow light on the security pad before switching the bike on and kicking it into gear.

*.*.*

Raven slowly guided the R-Cycle into the massive garage of Titans Tower. The rumble of the motarcycles engine was intensified by the hollow echo of the room, making her return seem far more dramatic than it truly was. Once she parked the bike at its designated place, she switched the machine off and welcomed the silence that followed. Leaning back, Raven rested her arms at her sides, the blades of her fingers barely touching the stiff leather covering her thighs. She tilted her head back, her eyes looking out of the dark visor of her helmet at the grey ceiling. Her breathing was steady and quiet, and she felt a deep calm despite what she knew lay ahead.

Once she had left Red-X behind, she raced through the city and back towards the tower. It did not take her long to feel the signiture of Starfire close by. Raven had frowned at that, but pushed it from her mind, knowing it was a far better than the alternative. The blinking yellow dot on the security pad of the bike never ceased until she reached the garage, making her wonder how long the tracking device had been on.

"Friend Raven?"

Raven took in a deep breath, easily catching her center, and slowly lifted the helmet from her head. The warm air of the garage was not as soothing to her heated skin as the breeze from outside had been, and she frowned again. Glancing over her shoulder, Raven took note of the Tameranians expression, trying to guage on how much the girl had seen or suspected. Starfire's face was one of innocent concern, her head tilted to the side while she laced her fingers together in front of her. Raven did not need to use her empathy to know that the other Titan had no knowledge of her most recent encounter with the thief.

Swinging her leg over the seat of the R-Cycle, Raven dismounted. Her right hand lazily held her heavy helmet, while the other hung at her side.

"Robin sent you." Raven stated.

Starfire took a step forward, her brows furrowing slightly as her lips tugged into a small frown.

"Yes, but I am uncertain as to why." She answered.

Confusion and concern gently trickled over Raven's empathy, and she had to take a deep breath to brace herself against the aliens emotions. Starfire had never been one to hide how she felt, she was the most expressive of the Titans, and she had never held them back a single iota. It had been a very difficult adjustment for Raven when she first met the girl, her empathy often becoming overpowered by the unbridled feelings, but after enough meditation and forced control, it was no longer an issue.

Raven closed her eyes, gathering her thoughts. Despite the annoyance that she felt at having a fellow team member sent out to retrieve her like a nanny, she was not overly concerned. She felt relaxed and content, all of the anxiety and grief that had been plaguing her for the past few weeks were suddenly subdued. At the moment, they were trivial, and she felt a freedom that she had rarely felt in her life. She had given into her darker impulses and the world still stood intact. She was suddenly aware of the bittersweet taste on her tongue and a shiver went up her spine.

Opening her eyes, Raven looked at her friend, her face stoic as she began walking toward the doors leading out of the garage. As the metal doors slid open, a gentle hand fell on her shoulder and she looked up at Starfire.

"Please, do not be angry with Robin. He is merely concerned for you." She said.

Raven offered the Tameranian a small smile, but her voice remained calm and level, not revealing anything beyond her words.

"It is none of his concern."

Authors Note: I would just like to take a moment to thank my awesome fiance' for doing the cover art of this story. He has done other pieces for this story on deviantart and I am very gratefull. Also, please read and review, I love feedback.


	12. Chapter 12

"Care to explain?"

Raven raised an eyebrow as she stepped into one of the computer rooms that Robin often utilized while he was working on a case. He wasted no time in his questioning, not bothering to acknowledge her with even the most basic of greetings. He was standing with his back to her, his hands rapidly pressing keys to a laptop while the large wall screen showed the progression of Cyborgs decoding device. Her empathy had immedietly picked up on the tension and anger that centered around him, along with the sharp twitch of annoyance at the seventy-five percent completion of the disc. Robin was at a volatile state of agitation towards her, but Raven was not intimidated in the slightest. Quite the contrary, the Titan was amused, and she did not hold back her smirk.

Robin's shoulders tensed and his hands curled into fists as he spun around to face her.

"Raven?"

Confusion momentarily ebbed the anger in his chest as he stared at the empty space in front of him. He took a step forward, his eyes narrowed as he looked at the closed door in front of him, where she had just entered.

"What am I explaining?" Raven asked.

Robin turned around again and felt his eyes widen at the sight of Raven leaning against the wall he had originally been facing. Her arms were folded loosely over her chest and one foot was crossed over her other ankle. Her expression was unreadable as she lifted one eyebrow at him. She was wearing the leather pants that Cyborg and Beastboy still teased her about, and she was without her cloak. His eyes flicked down to the black helmet that rested by her feet.

"Where were you tonight?" he asked.

Raven frowned slightly, her eyes narrowing as she glared into the white visors of his mask.

"Don't ask questions you already know the answers too." She said.

Robin's brow twitched slightly but the rest of his featured betrayed nothing as to his thoughts.

"Okay, fine. Have you been stealing the R-Cycle?" he asked.

Raven felt a pang of guilt in her chest. There were those that would argue that she merely 'borrowed' the R-Cycle, but he was never one for self delusions, even those that eased the conscience, and she knew that her outings on the bike were not honest. She had always tried to be respectful towards the machine, never failing to replenish the fuel she used, as well as returning it to the garage unharmed after every use. Despite these gestures of respect, it did not change the fact that she was 'stealing'.

"Yes." Raven admitted with a sigh.

A rush of emotion slapped against her empathy, causing her to stiffen against the wall. Robin took a step toward her, one hand slightly elevated as if to reach for her, but he did not. His eyes boring angrily into hers, and when he spoke, his voice echoed emtions of anger and disappointment that he was feeling.

"Why?" he demanded

Raven's body went rigid at the way that Robins attitude toward her was making her feel, as if she were a child that needed to explain herself before she was scolded. Even in her youngest years, she was never made to feel in such a way, her special upbringing being one of strict control and discipline that was carried out with a level headed maturity. On the rare occasion that she had done something wrong, she would be treated as an adult, meditate on her mistake, and move on.

At the moment, Robin was exuding the domineering aura of an angry parent, as if he had to make her feel overly ashamed for her actions in order to learn from them. The thought made her bristle with irritation.

"Well?" he said.

Robin curled his fists and Raven clenched her teeth. An uncomfortable tension was building and the pressure could be felt in the atmosphere around them.

"You weren't using it." She retorted.

The sarcastic answer threw Robin off guard, causing his eyes to widen and his mind went blank for an instant. With the momentary break in his anger he felt more receptive to her, and through the bond he could feel the seething anger beneath her cool exterior. With the slight opening, he was able to force a glimpse into her mind, and he caught the overwhelming sense of freedom with a flashing image of the R-Cycle. He felt a sort of joyful release pulse through him before other pictures and sensations raced in his thoughts.

Bright lights of a city. Familiar vibrations of an engine. A flash of something gray and black and the desire to misbehave. The unpleasant taste of coffee filled his mouth before warmth spread through his limbs.

He tried to focus on the images in front of him, but a cold, almost savage clenching in his mind brought them all to an abrupt stop. Robin swayed on his feet slightly and shook his head to bring an end to the dizzy sensations in his brain. When he looked up, he was met with the level gaze of his teammate.

"Raven. I," Robin began.

"Enough, Robin." She said.

The leader of the Titans was at a loss for words. Through the brief glimpse into her thoughts he had found his answer to why she had taken his bike. Despite their years of friendship, he had had only the vaguest idea as to her life before the team, and only the barest of understandings behind her powers. He knew they were powerd by emotion, and that to keep everything around her in one peace, she had to keep a tight hold on herself. Through the momentary lapse in her defenses, he had come to realize how freeing for her it was to know that the world would not end if she gave in to her own impulses.

Raven could feel his sympathy and pity filling the space between them and her chest clenched with annoyance. She despised being pitied, more than she detested his treating her as a child. The hold that she had on her center was growing thinner with the level of her anger and her powers were threatening to spill over and break something.

"I need to meditate." She said.

Dark energy levitated the helmet from the floor into her waiting hand before she silently walked toward the door. Robin had meant to let her leave in peace, but the fading taste in his mouth made his brows furrow and he now had more questions that needed answered. He turned his head to look at her over his shoulder, but she had already disappeard into the shadows.

*.*.*

Through meditation, Raven could more often than not find solace and peace of mind, but at the moment she was thoroughly aggrivated after her latest confrontation with Robin and could not grasp her center. After the uncomfortable exchange, she had retreated to her room, as was her custom, and wasted no time in attempting to calm herself. After an hour of pure frustration she gave up and paced the length of her bookshelf, hoping to find a volume that could work as a distraction.

It was to no avail.

Her energy level was too high to remain stationary, whether it be for reading or meditation, and her mind betrayed her with thoughts that only bothered her more. A vivid memory of a firm thrust against her pelvis caused her breath to catch and heat gather in her loins. That small bit of arousal was enough to cause the already unstable hold on her powers to falter, causing a row of books to fly off of their shelf and collide with whatever lay in their paths. There was the sound of pages tearing and something breaking before she clenched her fists and willed herself to feel calm again.

"I am acting like a child." She grumbled.

Taking a deep breath, she focused on her breath, and decided what needed to be done. For now, Robin was leaving her alone, having gotten his answer through her clumsy lapse in control. Raven was not entirely sure what he had caught sight of, but she did not think it was anything too detailed, and even if he had, she had no intentions of revealing her actions with Red-X.

*.*.*

The training grounds of the Teen Titans was not on the island itself. It was atop a canyon face miles from the city, away from prying eyes and possible casualties. It offered little in the way of shelter from the weather, and the cold temperatures always seemed more intense than inside of Jump City. The smell of clay and dirt were strong there, along with a visual of any stars in the sky.

Raven ran a hand through her sweat dampened hair as she surveyed the constelations above her. She had a working knowlede of Astronomy, as well as Astrology, and could name the different significances behind each star and formation. As her eyes swept across the sky, she could feel the return of her center, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Her thoughts were once again under control, as well as her emotions, and she felt as though she could properly sort out the events of the evening. She had had to use her training in Azerathian Martial Arts to relax her body, and in doing so, had succeeded in meditation through movement.

Her time at the training grounds had lasted for almost two hours, making it close to midnight before she had reached a desired level of control. During that time, she had worked out her anger towards Robin and herself. He for treating her as a child in sending out Starfire to find her, and herself for allowing him to reach inside of her mind.

Then there was the encounter with the thief.

That had been the most forefront in her thoughts and found that her movements became more forceful and intense because of them. Her body ignited with the memory of his pressed against her, and she still tasted him on her tongue.

Raven was not naive. She knew that she was working out her physical arousal that had built up earlier that evening. She could not deny that she had enjoyed every moment of their heated exchange in the park. The very nature of it had fed into her desire to satiate her darker side. There was a sense of satisfaction in her actions, a sense of victory that she could not place. Then there was the nagging voice in the back of her head that reminded her that she _was_ a Titan and he was an enemy. Her eyes narrowed on that thought and she felt a sudden weight in her chest.

*.*.*

Beastboy sprawled across the couch in the main room, his eyes glued to the television screen in front of him. He was watching in suspense as a two ninja's fought eachother with different weapons and styles. His mouth was opened and a single drop of drool had dribbled down the corner of his mouth as he eagerly awaited the outcome. Cyborg and Starfire had long sinced left him alone, deciding that there was nothing for them to do to pull him from the movie.

The fight scene was just about to reach its pinnacle when an odd smell caught his attention. He recognised the scent of sandlewood and herbal tea as Raven, combined with her own sweat, but there was something else, something that was not her. He pulled himself into a sitting position and looked over the edge of the couch. Raven was filling a glass with water from the sink, her hair slightly damp and a sheen of sweat on her face.

His ears pricked up as he caught another whiff of the unfamiliar scent. It was faint, almost unnoticable but it was still there. Something bittersweet and masculine.

"What?"

Beastboy squeeked when he realized that Raven had caught him staring at her. He grinned widely and scratched the back of his head, scrambling for something to say. His eyes flicked to the screen behind him before he chuckled lightly.

"Heh heh. Ninja's. You never know what they're going to do next. 'Cause they're sneaky. Get it?" He laughed.

Raven raised an eyebrow before rolling her eyes at him.

"You're a comedy genious." She deadpanned.

Beastboy smiled and sat up a little straighter, puffing out his chest as he did so.

"I know, right? Hey, wait a minute!" he said, realizing that she was, once again, being sarcastic.

Raven shook her head before walking out of the room with her water, leaving Beastboy alone with his movie.

The changling glared at the door for a few minutes before turning back to the television, the odd scent now forgotten.

"I am a comedic genious." He grumbled.


End file.
